US and Iran reach deal to extend ceasefire but need Trump's final approval: Report

The US ​and Iran ‌have reached an ​agreement on ​a 60-day memorandum of ​understanding to extend ​the ceasefire and launch negotiations ​on Iran's nuclear program, ‌but President Donald Trump still needs ​to ​give final approval.

According to Axios, US officials said terms of the deal were mostly agreed to as of Tuesday, but both sides still needed approval from senior leadership.

US officials told the outlet that the Iranians later came back and said they had the necessary approvals and were prepared to sign.

Unrestricted movement through Hormuz

As part of the 60-day MOU, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will be "unrestricted," and there will be no tolls and no harassment of ships passing through the waters. Iran will also have to remove all mines from the strait within 30 days.

Iran will commit not to pursue nuclear weapons

As part of the deal, Iran will commit not to pursue a nuclear weapon, US officials said. On its part, the US will commit to discussing sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds as part of the negotiations.

Further, the MOU will also include a discussion of a mechanism to help Iran start receiving goods and humanitarian aid, officials said.

US-Iran war

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, which killed its then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among others. Iran responded by targeting US bases and allies in the Middle East.

Though the two sides agreed on a fragile truce on April 8, hostilities have continued, with both accusing the other of violating the ceasefire deal.

But they have not returned to full-scale hostilities and have kept negotiating. US President Donald Trump has insisted he’s confident that his administration is making headway in the talks.

US strikes Iran's Bandar Abbas

On Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a second round of strikes in southern Iran, targeting a military control station, rocket platforms, and mine-laying boats near Bandar Abbas.

Iran responded by launching a ballistic missile targeting a US military base in Kuwait, which was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti air defences.

Kuwait condemned the attack and demanded that Iran immediately halt what it called a serious escalation.

Earlier, on Monday, the US said it conducted what the Pentagon called “self-defense” strikes on missile launch sites and minelaying boats in southern Iran.

The latest attacks, while limited, highlighted the fragility of negotiations to turn the tenuous early-April ceasefire into a lasting agreement to end the three-month-old war that has killed thousands and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, which hosted the mediation talks, said its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, would meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday, although the significance of his visit was unclear.

Trump is looking for an agreement that will reopen the strait, through which about a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas once passed. He also is seeking to get Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The war has been unpopular in the US, and Iran’s closure of the strait has sent oil prices skyrocketing, driving up fuel prices around the world.