Trump has told mediators that he will not accept a negotiation window with Iran lasting longer than 60 days. According to the report, Tehran wants three months to work through the details of the nuclear file, leaving the two sides 30 days apart on timing alone.
Messages between Washington and Tehran are currently being passed through Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Another reported track involves Pakistan, with its interior minister expected to travel to Iran to discuss a path for advancing the memorandum of understanding, or MOU. The document has not been signed.
MOU draft covers ceasefire extension, Hormuz access, and nuclear terms
Axios reported on May 24 that the draft MOU includes a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and an Iranian commitment to clear naval mines. On the US side, the draft would lift the port blockade and grant limited sanctions waivers so Iran could sell oil more freely. In exchange, Iran would pledge not to pursue a nuclear weapon and give priority to dealing with highly enriched uranium.
Trump said on May 23 that an agreement was “largely done,” but later sent the draft back and asked for a clear timetable on nuclear commitments. He also demanded that control of the strait be handed over immediately after signing. Iran’s foreign minister rejected those terms and described the US demands as “extremist.”
Three rounds of fire from June 1 to June 5
The report says the conflict has entered its 96th day, and the ceasefire language used by both sides does not reflect an actual halt in hostilities. Fighting continued through early June.
On June 1, Iran shot down a US MQ-1 Predator drone over international waters. US aircraft then struck Iranian air defense systems, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones. On June 3, an Iranian drone hit the passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, killing 1 person and injuring 63. Kuwaiti air defenses detected 30 projectiles and intercepted more than ten missiles and drones.
On June 5, the confrontation rose again. US forces shot down 4 Iranian one-way attack drones in the Strait of Hormuz, then struck two coastal surveillance radar sites at Goruk and Qeshm Island. Later that night, the IRGC launched 7 ballistic missiles toward Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. CENTCOM’s initial assessment said 6 were intercepted, while the seventh did not reach its intended target, and it denied any facility damage.