White House officials stated yesterday that US and Iran negotiators had struck a memorandum of understanding (MoU), but Trump has yet to give his final approval. Iran has denied granting the final approval, and Israel thinks Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not signed off on the MoU. âIran must agree that they will never have a nuclear weapon or bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions,â Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. The president referenced reported terms of the MoU, which the White House confirmed yesterday.
âAll water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers. Iran will complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left, which will not be many!)â Trump continued. âShips caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented naval blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of âheading home!’â Trump added.
Trumpâs Blockade Decision
Trump suggested that he has already made a decision to lift the blockade, even though that was only supposed to happen once the MoU was signed, according to the terms leaked to the press and confirmed by the White House. It wasnât clear if Iran had since demanded that the blockade be lifted in advance in order to move forward. The MoU stipulates that the sides will hold subsequent negotiations during the 60-day ceasefire extension on Iranâs nuclear program, including its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.
Trump insisted that this ânuclear dustâ will be âunearthedâ and destroyed by the US in close coordination with Iran and the UNâs nuclear energy agency. Tehran has yet to show any indication that it is prepared to accept these terms. âNo money will be exchanged, until further notice,â he added, ostensibly referring to the sanctions relief Iran is supposed to receive from the US as part of the MoU once it is signed. âOther items, of far less importance, have been agreed to. I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination,â Trump added.
Ceasefire Extension Agreement
Reports broke this week claiming that the United States and Iran reportedly agreed to extend their ceasefire for an additional 60 days while negotiations over Tehranâs nuclear program continue. The agreement, first reported by Associated Press, follows weeks of heightened tensions that included U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets and a series of military exchanges involving Iran and several Gulf states. As of now, there is no public indication that Tehran has accepted President Trumpâs central demand that Iran permanently abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.
Nevertheless, the ceasefire extension suggests that both sides currently see greater value in continued negotiations than in returning to open warfare. For the moment, the arrangement largely preserves the existing situation: a fragile ceasefire punctuated by diplomatic talks, periodic military tensions, and continued disagreement over Iranâs nuclear activities. The broader conflict began in late February following joint U.S.-Israeli military operations that targeted senior Iranian leadership and military infrastructure, dramatically escalating tensions across the Middle East and triggering months of instability throughout the region.
