Negotiators from the United States and Iran have reached a tentative framework agreement to extend the current ceasefire by 60 days and initiate discussions on Iran's nuclear program, according to US officials cited by international media on Thursday. The proposed memorandum of understanding, however, still requires the approval of US President Donald Trump, leaving the deal in a precarious state.
The broad outlines of the agreement include a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments that has been largely closed since the conflict began on 28 February. The Associated Press reported that sources familiar with the talks confirmed the tentative deal, though Tehran has not yet officially acknowledged any accord.
Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Iranian news agency ISNA that “a large part of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s proposals have been accepted.” However, he added a note of caution: “The only concern is the unpredictability of Trump and the lapses in commitments that we have witnessed so far from the United States.”
Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
The tentative agreement emerged just as hopes for a diplomatic resolution appeared to be fading. Over the past 24 hours, both sides have exchanged fire, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire. Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a written message read on state television, accused the US and Israel of seeking to destabilise the Islamic Republic. “The enemy’s blind plan, after the imposed war, economic pressure, and political and propaganda siege, is to create divisions and disintegration in order to compensate for military defeats and bring the nation to its knees,” Khamenei said.
Separately, Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that several vessels attempting to transit westbound through the Strait of Hormuz were stopped and turned back because they had not coordinated with Iran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) and ignored warnings from the IRGC Navy. The IRGC Navy claimed it was exercising “smart control” over the waterway, stating that 26 commercial and oil tankers had passed through after obtaining clearance over the past 24 hours.
Data from maritime intelligence firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, shared on Thursday, indicated a rise in the proportion of non-Iranian vessels transiting the strait, including ships flagged in Singapore, the UAE, South Korea, and a Norwegian-flagged vessel. This suggests that some international shipping is resuming despite the ongoing tensions.
President Trump, speaking at a cabinet meeting in the White House on Wednesday, expressed dissatisfaction with Tehran’s offers. “Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal. So far they haven't gotten there. We're not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Trump said, adding that he was in no rush to reach an accord. He warned that if no deal is reached, the US would “have to finish the job.”
Iranian state-run television had earlier claimed that a draft outline of the memorandum of understanding included commitments to lift the naval blockade on Iran, restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and withdraw US forces from the Gulf. The White House dismissed that report as a “complete fabrication.”
The outcome now rests with Trump, whose unpredictable decision-making has become a central concern for Iranian negotiators. For European observers, the stability of the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Gulf region remains a critical issue, given Europe's reliance on energy imports and the potential for wider conflict. The coming days will reveal whether this tentative framework can survive the political crosswinds on both sides.
