US-Iran Ceasefire Extension and Hormuz Reopening Framework Negotiated, but Trump Holds Back Approval as Iran Denies Final Deal
A US-Iran framework to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz emerged from negotiations, but President Trump has not yet approved it while Tehran denies any final pact, as fresh attacks strain the fragile truce.
War’s Origins and Escalation
The current crisis erupted on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, a massive strike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and much of Iran’s political and military elite. Iran responded with attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors and by mining the Strait of Hormuz, choking off global oil flows. A U.S. naval deployment and blockade followed, turning the waterway into a flashpoint. The April ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, was meant to pause the bloodshed, but both sides now accuse each other of violations.
Framework Agreement amid Denials
U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reportedly drawn up a Memorandum of Understanding to extend the fragile ceasefire for 60 days and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Under the terms leaked to Axios, Iran would remove all sea mines within 30 days, while Washington would lift its naval blockade as commercial traffic is restored. The deal would also commit both sides to new nuclear negotiations. However, Iranian media dismissed the reports as premature. An official close to Tehran’s negotiators, speaking to the Tasnim agency, insisted the text “is not yet finalized” and that any agreement would be communicated only by Iran.
The text is not yet finalized.
Trump’s Approval in Limbo
Vice President JD Vance said President Trump “was not yet ready to approve” the memorandum, despite “a lot of progress.” He added that teams were “going back and forth on a couple of wording issues.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller characterized Iran’s stance as offering “significant, substantial, and transcendent concessions,” but stressed the U.S. would never countenance a nuclear-armed Iran. The pattern of leaks and denials has unsettled markets, causing oil prices to briefly tumble.
We are going back and forth on a couple of wording issues.
Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
The truce, in place since April 8, has been marred by intermittent violence. In the early hours of Thursday, U.S. forces bombed military targets and drone installations in Bandar Abbas. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards retaliated by “attacking the U.S. base from which the aggression originated,” without specifying its location. Kuwait condemned a simultaneous drone and missile strike on its territory, saying it marked “a dangerous escalation.” On Friday, Iranian naval forces fired warning shots at “violating vessels” in the Strait of Hormuz, while a U.S. drone was reportedly intercepted near Bushehr.
a dangerous escalation
- US and Israel launch 'Epic Fury' offensive against Iran, killing Ayatollah Khamenei and top leadership.
- Ceasefire comes into effect, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
- US bombs Bandar Abbas; Iran retaliates with attacks on a US base. Framework agreement leaked.
- Iran fires warning shots at vessels in Strait of Hormuz; US drone intercepted near Bushehr.
Israel Intensifies Operations Elsewhere
Amid the U.S.-Iran standoff, Israel pressed ahead with its own offensives. Warplanes struck a residential building in Beirut, killing a woman and two children in an attempt to eliminate a Hezbollah leader. In Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to disregard an existing truce and seize control of 70% of the enclave. The widening violence complicates Pakistan’s efforts to mediate the broader conflict.
