US and Iran ‘very close’ to reaching Strait of Hormuz deal - but Trump sign-off still needed
Vice President JD Vance says that the US and Iran are "very close" to agreeing to a ceasefire extension.
JD Vance has said that the US and Iran are "very close" to agreeing to a ceasefire extension, but approval from Donald Trump is still needed.
Listen to this article
The framework would reportedly allow shipping traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.
The development follows increased hostilities between Tehran and Washington in recent days.
US officials said the deal terms were largely agreed on Tuesday, Axios report, but both sides still need approval from senior figures.
The 60-day Memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program will reportedly state that shipping through the strait of Hormuz will be "unrestricted" and Iran will have to remove all mines from the Strait within 30 days.
The US President said no single country would have control over the waterway, and appeared to threaten Oman, a country with which the United States has decades-long military and economic ties.
"It's international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up. They understand that, they'll be fine," he said.
This comes as Mr Trump claimed Iran were "negotiating on fumes", branding Tehran as “very much intent” on making a deal, but they “haven’t gotten there” yet.
He added: “We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”
The US naval blockade will be lifted in the understanding, but "in proportion to the restoration of commercial shipping", officials said.
The deal will include an Iranian commitment to abandon a nuclear weapon programme, and an agreement will be negotiated on how to dispose Iran's highly enriched uranium.
Trump's administration will reportedly commit to discuss sanctions relief and release of frozen Iranian funds.
Iran will also start receiving humanitarian aid as part of the understanding.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, said Trump’s previous “rhetoric” would not force Iran to back away from its demands to enrich uranium, wield authority over the strait and see sanctions against it lifted.
"It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement," Azizi said in a post on X.