US and Iran Reach 60-Day Ceasefire Extension Agreement Pending Trump Approval

Two US officials announced on Thursday that American and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and initiate negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. However, President Trump has yet to give his final approval.

According to the American news site Axios, US officials stated that most terms of the agreement were settled by Tuesday, but both sides still require approval from their highest leadership.

The site added that US officials claimed the Iranians later returned, stating they had obtained the necessary approvals and were ready to sign, though Iran has not confirmed this.

The US military described Iran's missile and drone attacks on Kuwait amid ongoing exchanges between Tehran and Washington as a "blatant violation of the ceasefire."

US negotiators have briefed President Trump on the details of the final agreement, but he did not sign it immediately. One US official said the president informed mediators that he wanted a few days to consider the matter.

Relatedly, US officials indicated that the 60-day memorandum of understanding would stipulate that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remain "unrestricted."

A US official explained that this entails no fees or harassment, and Iran must remove all mines from the strait within 30 days.

Another US official noted that the US naval blockade would also be lifted, but this would occur in coordination with the resumption of commercial shipping traffic.

Officials said the memorandum would include Iran's commitment not to seek nuclear weapons. It would also specify that the initial issues to be negotiated during the 60-day period would involve how to eliminate Iran's highly enriched uranium and how to address Iran's enrichment program.