WP: US, Iran move toward deal to extend ceasefire, reopen Hormuz

The United States and Iran have developed a memorandum of understanding framework aimed at extending the ceasefire for 60 days and laying the groundwork for a broader agreement to end the war, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Washington Post.

The proposed framework, which has not yet been formally signed, would require Iran to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore shipping traffic to prewar conditions within 30 days, a diplomat familiar with the negotiations said.

The proposal also calls for Iran, the United States and their allies to halt military operations across the region, including in Lebanon, while Tehran would reaffirm that it “will never develop nuclear weapons” and agree to dispose of its stockpile of enriched uranium under an agreed mechanism.

A senior U.S. administration official said the memorandum “commits” Iran to not possessing a nuclear weapon, including “giving up the nuclear dust,” referring to Tehran’s highly enriched uranium reserves.

Over the next two months, the two sides are expected to discuss “the mechanism” for implementing the nuclear provisions, the official added.

However, questions remain over the timing and binding nature of the arrangement.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the agreement “isn’t even fully negotiated yet” and that “nobody has seen it, or knows what it is.”

“So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about,” Trump wrote, adding that he doesn’t “make bad deals!!”

Earlier, Trump said “negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner” and urged U.S. negotiators “not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side.”

“Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” he wrote, adding that U.S.-Iran relations were becoming “more professional and productive.”

An Iranian official said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would take place in phases. Under the first stage, the United States would release $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, minesweeping operations would begin, and the U.S. blockade would be lifted.

The Iranian official said the memorandum does not yet constitute a nuclear agreement, but rather a commitment to negotiate the nuclear issue at a later stage.