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US-Iran war to end soon? Washington, Tehran agree on 60-day ceasefire extension, now waiting for…
The United States and Iran have reportedly reached an early agreement to extend the fragile ceasefire and restart talks about Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, the proposal is still waiting for final approval from US President Donald Trump.
According to sources quoted by Axios, negotiators from both countries agreed earlier this week on the framework of a 60-day memorandum of understanding. The proposed deal could become the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the conflict began nearly three months ago.
The agreement would also include an Iranian promise not to develop nuclear weapons. During the 60-day negotiation period, both sides would discuss the future of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and the issue of uranium enrichment.
The talks come as new military exchanges between Washington and Tehran continue to increase tensions in the region and raise fears that the ceasefire could collapse at any time.
Trump Yet to Approve Deal
US officials said that most parts of the agreement had been settled by Tuesday. Iranian negotiators later told mediators that they had received approval from senior leaders in Tehran and were ready to continue. However, Trump has not yet officially approved the proposal.
“The president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it,” a US official told Axios.
The White House has not confirmed details of the draft agreement. Trump has repeatedly said that peace is close, but during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday he also showed frustration over the slow progress of negotiations. Trump said he was still unhappy with the talks and stressed that Washington was not currently discussing sanctions relief, which remains one of Iran’s key demands.
Officials familiar with the discussions said the proposed 60-day memorandum would first focus on restoring calm in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
Strait of Hormuz Central to Talks
Under the reported proposal, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would become “unrestricted”. US officials said Iran would need to remove naval mines from the area within 30 days and stop interfering with commercial ships. In return, the US would slowly reduce its naval blockade as shipping traffic returned to normal.
US negotiators are also expected to discuss sanctions relief and the possible release of frozen Iranian funds. Humanitarian aid deliveries to Iran would also be included in the talks. However, the memorandum would only act as a temporary framework and not a final peace agreement.
New Strikes Threaten Ceasefire
The diplomatic effort comes as both sides continue to clash despite the ceasefire announced earlier this year. On Thursday, Iran targeted a US military base in Kuwait after American forces struck what Washington described as an Iranian drone operation near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
US Central Command said American forces shot down five Iranian drones and attacked a control station preparing to launch another drone attack. Kuwait later confirmed that it intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the country, which hosts a major US military presence. “These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” a US official told Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later said it had targeted the US base linked to earlier strikes near Bandar Abbas airport. Iranian media warned that any repeat attack would lead to a “more decisive response”. The latest violence has renewed fears that negotiations could quickly collapse.
Trump Rejects Oman-Iran Hormuz Plan
Tensions increased further after Trump rejected reports broadcast by Iranian state television claiming that Tehran and Oman were discussing a plan for joint management of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump dismissed the idea and insisted that no country would control the waterway.
“It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up,” he said. The comments caused anger in Tehran, which later expressed support for Oman and accused US officials of making dangerous threats against countries in the region.
Meanwhile, fighting linked to the wider conflict continued in other parts of the Middle East. Israel launched new strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut targeting Hezbollah positions, while air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel.
First published on: May 29, 2026 06:56 AM IST
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