Transcript: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," June 14, 2026

The following is the transcript of the interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on June 14, 2026. MARGARET BRENNAN:This morning, the Israeli Defense Force conducted strikes in Lebanon on Beirut's southern suburbs to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah leadership. The IDF called it retaliation for strikes on Israel. CBS has learned the potential US-Iran truce includes a vague reference to ending the fighting in Lebanon, which may not be enough for Iran's leaders. And Iran's failure to cut off support for its proxy force, Hezbollah, may not be enough for America's partner, Israel. For the latest, we begin this morning with Secretary of Defense Hagseth, who joins us from Tennessee. Mr. Secretary, welcome to Face the Nation. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH: Good morning, Margaret. Thank you. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, did the Hezbollah Israel strikes disrupt any of the plans to have this memorandum signed today. Are we on track for a Sunday signing? SEC.HEGSETH : From all I know, we are on track. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. There's logistics involved into how these things happen. Ultimately, obviously, we're attuned to what's happening with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel, which they need to stop doing, and Iran needs to encourage them to stop doing that in very adamant ways, and Israel was very measured in its response, understanding that a deal is on- is- we're on the verge of a deal. …