White House sources confirmed that the United States and Iran have reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to extend the ceasefire for 60 days to allow for formal negotiations, but US President Donald Trump has yet to give his approval.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, said the text of the MoU had not yet been finalised or confirmed, and the public would be notified once that occurred.
The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks continues to mount, with some 20 people killed on Thursday, including a woman and two children in southern Beirut.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given orders for his troops to seize more control of Gaza – at least 70 percent – amid a so-called “ceasefire” and a day after an Israeli attack on Gaza City killed at least 10 people, including children.
The European Union has sanctioned four entities and three individuals described as “extremist Israeli settlers” over their involvement in human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The White House declined to comment.
The Trump administration has several times said a deal to end the fighting was close, only to have Iran dispute or downplay the claims.
Trump initially said the war would last four to six weeks, but it is now three months old. At times, he has suggested the conflict could end within days, only to later suggest it could go on for some time.
Over the weekend, expectations of a deal soared when Trump canceled his weekend plans to stay in Washington and skipped his son’s wedding, citing “circumstances pertaining to government.” On Sunday, a senior Trump administration official downplayed an imminent deal, but said there was agreement in principle over the broad contours of a deal.
Trump has come under growing pressure from Iran hawks in his own party, who have urged him not to make any agreement that fails to immediately address Iran’s nuclear program.
Growing voter disquiet about high prices, especially for gasoline, has added to political pressure on Trump’s Republican Party, which is widely expected to struggle to keep control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.
Trump has said his key aim in the war is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with its highly enriched uranium. Tehran has consistently denied it has plans to do that.
