The emerging agreement between the United States and Iran appears to require Washington to relinquish significant leverage before securing meaningful concessions from Tehran, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander, told Newsmax on Monday.

Clark told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that the reported framework of the deal — which President Donald Trump said would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin a 60-day negotiation period in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade — raises questions about whether the agreement favors Iran in its early stages.

"It looks a little, let's say asymmetric right now," Clark said. "They can shut down the strait anytime with what's there. Well, we're going to pull back our naval forces. And so we won't be able to return to a shutdown of the strait with our blockade."

The agreement is expected to be formalized Friday, although key details remain disputed. Clark noted that conflicting reports have emerged regarding the terms, including claims from Iranian officials concerning potential U.S. financial commitments and future control of the strategically vital waterway.

"The devil is in the details on this," Clark said. "Honestly, we just don't know enough because there seems to be ... some dispute between what the deal actually consists of."

Clark said the negotiations will present a significant challenge given the long-running disputes between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program.

"We've spent years arguing and finagling with the Iranians about nuclear weapons and nuclear programs," he said. "So we really don't know where this is going to go."

The retired general said lifting the blockade before securing firm commitments from Iran could weaken the United States' negotiating position.

"Once we've given up the blockade, we've sort of given up our leverage on this," Clark said. "It looks like we're giving up more initially. Maybe we'll get it back. But it depends on the skill of the negotiations and the determination of the president."

Clark also expressed concern that the reported agreement does not appear to address Iran's missile program, which he said remains a threat to Israel.

"The deal doesn't include any discussion so far of missiles," he said, adding that Iran's missile capabilities have continued to advance despite recent military setbacks.

Asked whether the U.S. should maintain a military presence in the region during negotiations, Clark said he favors keeping substantial naval forces near the Strait of Hormuz until Iran takes verifiable steps to dismantle military infrastructure capable of threatening maritime traffic.

"I would like to see a robust naval force remain in the area, just as a matter of principle," Clark said.

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