Reaching a US-Iran agreement for 60 days. Waiting for Trump's signature
Iran and the United States are waiting for President Donald Trump to agree to a framework for an agreement they reached to extend the ceasefire for 60 days, US sources said on Thursday.
The sources confirmed information that was reported by Axios, which indicated that the two sides have reached a memorandum of understanding to extend the truce and start negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, and no confirmation has yet been issued by Trump or Iran in this regard.
Under the MoU, transportation through the Strait of Hormuz will be unrestricted and without fees or harassment, the Axios report noted, explaining that Iran is obliged to remove all mines from the waterway within 30 days.
In return, Washington would lift its blockade of Iranian ports, but only in proportion to the volume of commercial shipping that would resume through the strait, and allow Tehran to sell oil under the suspension of U.S. sanctions.
The memorandum also stipulates an Iranian commitment not to seek a nuclear weapon, according to Axios, and among the first issues to be discussed is how to dispose of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.
Statements and reciprocal strikes
Trump has long stressed that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon under any deal to end the war that erupted in the Middle East after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28, and on April 8, a cease-fire agreement was reached.
On Wednesday, the U.S. president said he was "unsatisfied" with Iran's proposals to end the war and warned that he could "finish the job" militarily.
Earlier on Thursday, Iran and the United States traded accusations of violating the truce, after mutual attacks, as the U.S. military shot down four Iranian drones and launched strikes on a base in southern Iran on Wednesday night.
In response, the IRGC announced that it had targeted an unspecified US base, but the Kuwaiti army reported that it had responded to "missile attacks and hostile drones".
New US sanctions
On a related note, Iran's deputy foreign minister stressed that his country will not allow any US military measures to infringe on its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the exercise of this sovereignty has become well-established and warned against US provocations.
For his part, the US Secretary of the Treasury announced the imposition of new sanctions targeting the "Iranian Gulf Strait Authority", warning companies and countries against paying any transit fees to this body or trying to hide these payments in the name of aid.