President Trump is considering whether to sign off on a 60-day memorandum of understanding that would extend the U.S.–Iran ceasefire in the Middle East and set the table for nuclear talks, a significant development in the three-month-old war.
The deal, if approved, would mark a breakthrough in the conflict after weeks of negotiations facilitated by Pakistan and U.S. allies such as Qatar.
The pending deal was first reported by Axios, and U.S. sources confirmed its veracity to The Washington Times.
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday in Washington, which could move things along.
President Donald Trump speaks during a …
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Pakistan is a key mediator in the Iran conflict, and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said the officials will “review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.”
Negotiators have been working feverishly to strike a deal that brings peace to the Middle East and sets the table for a final agreement over Mr. Trump’s demands.
The president says his main goal is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
He did not have any public events scheduled on Thursday and did not weigh in on the reported deal on social media or elsewhere.
Even with approval, the reported deal would be an incremental step. Rather than ending the conflict entirely, it sets the table for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear material and ambitions.
Negotiations facilitated by Pakistan and Gulf nations such as Qatar have proceeded in fits and starts for weeks, with sea skirmishes and exchanges of fire in the region complicating the talks.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday said he thinks Iran would like to make a deal, given the economic pressure it’s feeling from his blockade on Iranian ports, though he added the U.S. might have to resume military strikes.
He also said Arab and Muslim-majority countries should join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel as part of the broader Iran deal — a demand that could complicate an agreement.
The U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 to stymie Iran’s nuclear ambitions, constrain its missile program and stop its support for terror proxies in the Middle East.
Early strikes killed top Iranian leaders and decimated the Islamic republic’s military. Iran retaliated by restricting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for oil exports.
Both sides entered a ceasefire in early April to allow space for peace talks, though it has been difficult for the sides to reach a pact that satisfies Mr. Trump’s demands.
There were disturbances in the region on Thursday. The U.S. military said Iran launched ballistic missiles toward Kuwait the day before as retaliation for defensive U.S. strikes on southern Iran earlier in the week.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, wrote on social media that Kuwaiti forces successfully intercepted the attack but called the incident an “egregious ceasefire violation” and vowed to defend allied partners.
“U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM wrote on X.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the Iranian attacks as a “dangerous escalation” in the already deadly conflict.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement Thursday that it launched strikes on an unnamed U.S. base in the region in retaliation for strikes targeting its drone facilities.
The statement, carried by Iranian state media, did not clarify the name of the base or its location. The U.S. operates 19 bases in the Middle East, with a military footprint of over 40,000 personnel.
The Kuwait army said earlier Thursday that its air defenses were engaging with drones and missiles but did not clarify their origin or how many there were. The U.S. operates several military bases in Kuwait, including Ali Al Salem Air Base, a major Air Force hub.
Iran’s attacks were an apparent response to U.S. strikes on Iranian drone sites in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday, marking the second round of American airstrikes this week.
Beyond military action, the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday the U.S. plans to tighten its economic grip on Iran.
For instance, the U.S. will shut down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling and ticket sales.
Mr. Bessent said the U.S. Navy formed a “wall of steel” around Iran to thwart the regime from exporting oil and gaining critical revenue. He said the U.S. blockade’s pressure is obvious throughout Iran.
“Their troops are not getting paid, the police are not reporting for work, and Kharg Island is shut down. The Iranian economy and currency are in free fall,” Mr. Bessent said on social media.
Kharg Island is a critical oil depot in the Persian Gulf off the Iranian coast.
Mr. Bessent said the Treasury Department is sanctioning anyone who cooperates with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an entity Tehran set up to control strait traffic and collect tolls.
Administration officials and global leaders say the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, so Iranian attempts to control it and impose tolls are illegitimate.
