Negotiators for the United States and Iran appear to have reached a deal to extend the ceasefire by 60 days, but are awaiting President Donald Trump’s approval, U.S. sources told MS NOW on Thursday.
If Trump agrees to the deal, it would extend the ceasefire and open negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, pushing the thorniest details over Iran’s nuclear ambitions down the road. Axios was the first to report on the potential agreement, which MS NOW has not reviewed independently.
The news follows a recent exchange of strikes in the Middle East, with U.S. Central Command earlier Thursday accusing Iran of an “egregious ceasefire violation” by targeting Kuwait with a missile hours earlier. Kuwaiti forces successfully intercepted the missile, the U.S. military said.
“This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement Thursday on social media.
“All drones were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas,” the statement said. “U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression.”
A U.S. official told MS NOW in a statement Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement remains in effect and described the U.S. military actions as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”
Trump said Wednesday that Iran wants “very much to make a deal” but “they haven’t gotten there,” adding that Iran was “negotiating on fumes.”
“We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, adding, “They’re negotiating on fumes. But we’ll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t.”
Many details of a final possible ceasefire extension remain unclear. Trump said Saturday that his administration had “largely” reached a deal that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which 20% of the world’s oil supply flows.
Key Republicans, however, said they were skeptical of Trump’s deal because it was unclear whether it required Iran to give up its supply of enriched uranium or reduce its vast stockpile of missiles.
The conflict began Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While a fragile ceasefire took effect in April, efforts to negotiate a long-term deal have been unsuccessful.
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A top Pentagon official told Congress the war has cost an estimated $25 billion as of early May, though Democrats have said it is likely higher.
Also at issue is Israel’s war with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group based in southern Lebanon, a major hurdle in the failed rounds of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade strikes amid an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreed to in May.
The war’s effects have rippled across the world. In the U.S., gas and fertilizer prices have skyrocketed, and Trump’s poll numbers have plummeted.
Trump has also faced criticism for what appeared to be inconsistent objectives for the war’s aims, an ever-expanding timeline for how long it would last and an expletive-laden Easter Sunday message in which he threatened to obliterate Iranian civilization.
The war has led to more than 6,900 deaths across the Middle East, according to figures compiled by MS NOW. That includes more than 3,600 people in Iran, more than 3,100 people in Lebanon, at least 13 U.S. soldiers and at least a half dozen U.N. peacekeepers.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Julia Jester, Carla Herreria and Hayley Meissner contributed reporting.
Lindsey Pipia
Lindsey Pipia is a White House producer for MS NOW.
Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter covering national politics and policy for MS NOW. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at SydneyCarruth.46 or follow her work on X and Bluesky.