US-Iran Break Ice With Deal—But Trump Has the Final Say
A tentative 60-day ceasefire and nuclear negotiation framework has been hammered out between the United States and Iran, though the entire deal hinges on final approval from President Donald Trump, according to U.S. officials.
The breakthrough draft memorandum of understanding was largely finalized by negotiators on Tuesday. While Iranian representatives later signaled they secured the necessary green light from senior leadership in Tehran and stand ready to sign, the Iranian government has not yet publicly confirmed the agreement.
Trump has also stopped short of an immediate endorsement. After receiving a briefing from his negotiation team, the president chose to hold off on signing.
“The president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it,” a U.S. official said.
If approved, the deal would immediately impact global shipping and regional security. Under the proposed terms, shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz would become completely unrestricted. Iran would be required to clear all naval mines from the waterway within 30 days, while a U.S. naval blockade would be phased out gradually as commercial maritime traffic safely resumes.
On the nuclear front, the framework requires a formal commitment from Iran not to pursue a nuclear weapon. In exchange, the two nations would open formal negotiations targeting Tehran’s existing enriched uranium stockpile, potential U.S. sanctions relief, and Iranian access to frozen financial assets abroad.
The terms of the pending agreement were first reported by Axios.