U.S. and Iran reach tentative ceasefire extension and Strait of Hormuz agreement, awaiting Trump's final sign-off

U.S. and Iranian negotiators finalized the text of a tentative MoU on Thursday, according to U.S. officials cited by CNN and confirmed to Fox News, but the deal faces uncertainty on both sides. Trump told advisers he wants a few days to decide whether to sign the agreement, and officials said he appears unlikely to act before receiving confirmation that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has also given his approval. Vice President JD Vance described the situation as "TBD," noting the two sides were still negotiating over "a couple of language points" related to Iran's nuclear program and highly enriched uranium stockpile.

Under the terms described by a U.S. official to CNN, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately, without tolls and unrestricted to traffic. Iran would commit to removing mines from the waterway within 30 days, and the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would be lifted progressively as shipping traffic is restored — an incentive structure officials said was designed to ensure Iranian compliance. The plan also calls for a phased system of financial relief for Iran, with officials exploring mechanisms involving third parties such as Qatar to avoid direct U.S. involvement, given Trump's longstanding objections to the structure of the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal.

The nuclear question remains the central unresolved issue. Iran's top parliamentary security official, Ebrahim Azizi, stated publicly that Tehran "does not intend to transfer its enriched uranium to a third country," while also listing Iran's right to enrich uranium and maintain stockpiles as non-negotiable "red lines." Trump has insisted any final deal must include Iran's disavowal of a nuclear weapon and commitment to dispose of its highly enriched uranium — which, according to CNN, totals nearly 1,000 pounds purified to 60%. How and where that disposal would occur has been deferred to future talks.