Overview
- U.S. and Iranian negotiators told mediators they had drafted a 60‑day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire, negotiators said Thursday, but the deal requires President Trump’s sign‑off and formal confirmation from Tehran.
- The draft would require Iran to remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days and allow unrestricted, toll‑free commercial passage while the U.S. lifts its naval blockade in step with restored traffic.
- The memorandum would include an Iranian commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon and create a 60‑day window to begin talks on disposing of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
- The pause remains fragile because U.S. forces reported shooting down multiple Iranian attack drones and striking a drone control site near Bandar Abbas, Iran’s IRGC claimed a retaliatory strike on a U.S. airbase, and Kuwaiti forces said they intercepted a missile.
- Next steps hinge on political leaders and mediators in Washington, Tehran and Pakistan, and the pact’s approval could swiftly affect oil markets and commercial shipping if the military frictions do not derail the process.