American and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative deal to extend their fragile ceasefire by 60 days and open formal talks over Tehran's nuclear program, but the agreement remains unsigned, with President Donald Trump telling mediators he needs more time before giving final approval.

White House officials confirmed Thursday that negotiators had agreed to a proposed memorandum of understanding, Breitbart News reported, citing earlier reporting from Axios based on two U.S. officials and a regional source involved in the mediation. The proposed framework would build on a ceasefire originally struck in April, extending it while creating a structured window for nuclear negotiations.

On the Iranian side, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has also not yet approved the agreement. Diplomats involved in the mediation told the Times of Israel that both sides appeared close to an understanding but cautioned that final approvals had not been secured.

That gap between tentative and final matters, because while diplomats were drafting terms, the shooting had not stopped.

Ceasefire violations and military strikes near the Strait of Hormuz

Tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz continued to flare over the past 48 hours, even as the proposed agreement was taking shape. On Thursday, U.S. Central Command accused Iran of committing an "egregious ceasefire violation" after Kuwaiti forces intercepted missiles and drones fired toward Kuwait.

U.S. forces shot down multiple Iranian attack drones threatening vessels near the strait and struck an Iranian ground-control site near Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch another drone. The military described its operations as "measured" and "purely defensive."

Iran, for its part, accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and warned of further retaliation if strikes continue. The mutual accusations underscore how thin the existing truce has been, and how much weight the proposed 60-day extension would need to bear.

The broader military picture provides context for the leverage Trump holds at the table. U.S. Central Command has conducted sustained operations against Iranian drone and missile infrastructure, and the CENTCOM chief recently told the Senate that American forces had dealt devastating damage to Iran's naval capabilities.

What the proposed deal would require

The memorandum of understanding, as described by U.S. officials, lays out an ambitious set of commitments on both sides. The 60-day ceasefire extension would run alongside a parallel 60-day negotiating window focused specifically on Iran's nuclear program, including the fate of Tehran's uranium stockpile and future enrichment activities.

On the maritime front, the agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted commercial shipping and prohibit tolls or harassment of vessels transiting the waterway. Iran would be required to remove mines from the strait within 30 days.

In return, the United States would gradually lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports as commercial traffic resumes. Washington would also agree to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds during the negotiating window. Iran, meanwhile, would commit not to pursue a nuclear weapon, though key disputes over the uranium stockpile and long-term enrichment capabilities remain unresolved and would be addressed in ongoing talks.

The Strait of Hormuz provisions are consistent with Trump's broader posture in the region. The president has previously warned Oman to keep the strait open or face military consequences, and the administration has treated freedom of navigation through the waterway as a non-negotiable priority.

Trump signals leverage, not satisfaction

The president's public comments suggest he views the tentative framework as a starting point, not a finished product. During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said Iran "very much" wants a deal.

"We're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that, or we'll have to just finish the job."

That remark, blending diplomatic patience with an unmistakable military warning, captures the administration's posture. Trump informed mediators he wanted "a couple of days to think about it" before making a final decision, according to Axios's earlier reporting cited by Breitbart.

The Jerusalem Post, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, reported that approvals from both Trump and Khamenei remain pending. Neither side has committed to a timeline for signing.

Trump has also worked to build international pressure on Iran's nuclear ambitions. He and Chinese President Xi Jinping have publicly agreed that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, a diplomatic alignment that narrows Tehran's room to maneuver.

The open questions that matter most

For all the detail in the proposed memorandum, the hardest questions remain unanswered. What specific sanctions relief is Washington prepared to offer? How much in frozen Iranian funds is on the table? What is the current size and enrichment level of Iran's uranium stockpile? And what does "long-term enrichment" mean in practice, a permanent ceiling, a temporary pause, or something in between?

These are the disputes that have sunk every prior nuclear deal framework. The 2015 agreement under the Obama administration collapsed in part because it failed to permanently constrain Iran's enrichment pathway and included sunset clauses that critics, Trump chief among them, argued would eventually hand Tehran a clear road to a weapon.

The administration's insistence on addressing the uranium stockpile and enrichment activities head-on signals it does not intend to repeat that pattern. But a 60-day window is short for negotiations of this complexity, and the ceasefire's fragility, demonstrated by this week's drone strikes and counter-strikes, raises the question of whether the truce can hold long enough for talks to produce anything binding.

The Strait of Hormuz provisions, if implemented, would represent a significant practical achievement. Trump has previously declared the strait "permanently open" following separate diplomatic efforts, and a formal Iranian commitment to remove mines and stop harassing commercial vessels would give that declaration enforceable teeth.

A deal that exists on paper, and nowhere else

The distinction between a tentative agreement and a signed one is not academic. Negotiators can agree to terms that leaders reject. Mediators can describe progress that evaporates overnight. And ceasefires that both sides accuse each other of violating are not ceasefires in any meaningful sense, they are pauses between rounds.

Trump's reluctance to rush signals he understands this. The president has the military leverage, the international backing, and the demonstrated willingness to strike Iranian infrastructure. He does not need to accept a framework that leaves the nuclear question half-answered.

Iran's position is weaker. Its navy has been degraded. Its ports are blockaded. Its drones are being shot down. Its ally network is under pressure. If Tehran genuinely wants relief, it will have to offer more than a 60-day promise not to build a bomb it claims it was never building.

The deal, if it comes, will be judged by what it actually prevents, not by the press release announcing it. Trump appears to know the difference.