The United States and Iran have reached a tentative preliminary agreement to extend a ceasefire by 60 days to end a three-month war that has killed thousands and roiled the global economy. The draft memorandum includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for unrestricted shipping, the removal of mines by Iran within 30 days, and US sanctions waivers on Iranian oil. Additionally, the deal would provide Iran access to its frozen assets and initiate a new round of talks regarding Tehran's nuclear program.
President Donald Trump held a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday to make a final determination on the peace plan. While the president stressed that any deal must include his red lines, specifically that Iran must agree never to possess nuclear weapons, no final decision was announced following the deliberations. The president has wavered on whether to move forward with the agreement, leaving it unclear which conditions are currently part of the framework.
Tehran has denied that a final agreement has been reached, with Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stating that exchanges of messages are continuing. Iranian state media has rebutted key elements of the president's characterization of the deal, describing the remarks as a mixture of truth and lies. Amid this deep mistrust, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Washington is more than capable of resuming the war with Iran at any time if negotiations fail.