. The United States and Iran have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and start a new round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
However, Iran has not yet officially ratified the deal.TAG_OPEN_div_42 Vice President J.D. Vance said on behalf of the U.S. side that the agreement had been signed. However, it is not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will approve it or not. According to him, discussions are underway on some technical and linguistic points and the final agreement is yet to be finalized.
Provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz have also been put forward with the agreement. Under the resolution, Iran would not be able to use tolling rights on the strategic waterway and would have to remove all mines within 30 days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade has been affected after Iran effectively shut down the waterway during the war.
Meanwhile, the United States is preparing to gradually lift naval pressure on Iranian ports and ease sanctions, allowing Iran to sell more oil.TAG_OPEN_div_38 U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said he expects oil prices to fall soon after the deal is finalized. However, the US has also imposed more sanctions related to Iranian oil sales, which has further escalated the economic pressure campaign.
Although Iran claims to have allowed some commercial ships to pass, average daily ship traffic this month has dropped significantly compared to pre-war levels.TAG_OPEN_div_36 Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic has also been accused of collecting tolls from some ships, and a new formal control agency has been set up in this regard.
The main sensitive issue of the deal is Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.TAG_OPEN_div_34 According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has 440. There is 9 kilograms of uranium, enriched to 60 percent, and that’s a technical limit of just below the weapons-level 90 percent. Negotiators are said to be trying to reach an initial agreement on the future of the stockpile, the details of which are expected to be worked out in the next talks.
Vance said the issues related to nuclear materials, enrichment stockpiles and enrichment processes are still under discussion, and efforts are underway to find a solution that could have long-term implications.TAG_OPEN_div_32 However, Iran has not yet publicly pledged to give up its uranium stockpile. Some analysts have hinted that options for handing over the reserves to third parties, such as China or Russia, could be discussed. However, US President Trump has made it clear that such a plan will not be easy.
Meanwhile, Iran has reiterated its insistence that the talks should include a halt to Israeli military action in Lebanon.TAG_OPEN_div_30 At least 14 people have been killed in attacks around the Lebanese capital Beirut and in the south.
As the regional security situation worsens, Kuwait says it has intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran through its air defense system.TAG_OPEN_div_28 Kuwait’s foreign ministry condemned it as a “clear attack”, while US Central Command described it as a “serious ceasefire violation”.
According to U.S. officials, Iran has been under further sanctions in recent days.TAG_OPEN_div_26 This includes dropping drones and attacking some military installations. Iran said it had retaliated with its Revolutionary Guards. However, the broader target has not been explicitly stated.
Details of the temporary agreement were first reported by Axios.TAG_OPEN_div_24 However, the two sides are continuing talks with partial agreement and partial disagreement. Vance said the ceasefire, while not completely stable, was “largely sustainable” and negotiations were moving forward.
On Thursday, Iran’s defense system claimed to have shot down a “hostile aircraft” near the southern city of Jam.TAG_OPEN_div_22 Local officials said further details were not immediately available, but regional tensions remain high.
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