Written by: Badr Ahmed

The United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding aimed at extending the ceasefire and starting a new round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but the agreement is still awaiting final approval from US President Donald Trump, according to two US officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts who spoke to the US news site Axios.

The potential agreement, if officially approved, would represent the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the outbreak of the recent war, amid hopes that it could open the door to a broader settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, despite US officials confirming that reaching a final agreement on Washington’s nuclear demands will require more complex negotiations in the next phase.

A US-Iranian agreement awaits Trump's final signature to end the war within 60 days.

According to sources, most of the memorandum of understanding's terms had been agreed upon by last Tuesday, but both sides needed approval from their respective top leaderships. US officials explained that the Iranian side later informed the mediators that it had received the necessary approval and was ready to sign, while no official confirmation has yet been issued from Tehran.

The sources indicated that the American negotiators presented the details of the agreement to Trump, but the US president did not give his immediate approval, and told the mediators that he needed “several days to think” before making a final decision.

Regarding the terms of the agreement, US officials explained that the memorandum of understanding will include a guarantee of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without imposing fees or harassment, along with Iran's commitment to remove all sea mines from the strait within 30 days.

The agreement also stipulates the gradual lifting of the US naval blockade, in conjunction with the return of commercial shipping to normal, in addition to an Iranian pledge not to seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

The negotiations during the 60-day period are scheduled to focus on mechanisms for disposing of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the future of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, as well as discussing the easing of US sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian funds.

The memorandum of understanding also includes exploring a mechanism that would allow Iran to resume receiving goods and humanitarian aid during the negotiation period.