JD Vance Says US-Iran Ceasefire Deal Is ‘Very Close’
According to sources, the United States and Iran reached an agreement on Thursday to prolong their ceasefire and remove restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, US President Donald Trump has not yet approved it, and Iranian official media stated that it has not yet been finalised. Sources indicate that the agreement would prolong the truce for an additional 60 days, facilitating the movement of traffic through the strategic waterway as negotiators address complex matters, including Iran’s nuclear program. If approved by leadership in Washington and Tehran, it would represent the most significant advancement towards peace since the onset of the conflict on February 28. Reports regarding a potential agreement emerged following a series of reciprocal assaults between the two nations, marking the most recent occurrence since the ceasefire was established in early April. According to sources, the deal has yet to receive approval from Trump. Iran has not yet provided a response regarding the news of the proposed deal. According to a source affiliated with the negotiating team, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the text of the agreement remains unfinalized and unconfirmed. We’re not there yet, but we’re very close, and we’re going to keep on working at it,” US Vice President JD Vance stated in Washington. I cannot assure that we will achieve that outcome, but at this moment, I feel relatively optimistic about it,” Vance stated.
The Trump administration has repeatedly asserted that a deal to conclude the hostilities was imminent, yet Iran has consistently contested or minimised these assertions. The agreement would delineate unrestricted shipping through the Strait and necessitate the United States to remove its blockade of Iranian ports. The US would also lift certain sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The reports led to a decline in oil prices, fuelled by optimism regarding a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for approximately one-fifth of the global oil and liquefied natural gas supply. Earlier, US Central Command reported that its forces had intercepted five Iranian attack drones and targeted a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas, which was preparing to launch a sixth drone. Kuwaiti forces subsequently intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the nation, which is home to a significant US military installation. A US official stated that no American aircraft were shot down near Bushehr, Iran, which contradicts a report from Iran’s state television claiming that a US aircraft had been downed in that area. The incidents, while limited, underscored the fragility of negotiations aimed at transforming the tenuous ceasefire into a durable agreement to conclude the three-month-old conflict, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and disrupted global energy markets.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the strikes were defensive in nature and aimed at preserving the ceasefire. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had targeted the US base linked to the Bandar Abbas attack, asserting that any recurrence would result in a “more decisive response,” according to the Tasnim news agency. Kuwait condemned the attack and demanded that Iran immediately cease what it termed a serious escalation. The violence, marking the second flare-up this week, coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated across the region, where multiple countries have been embroiled in the conflict. Mediator Pakistan announced that its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday. However, the implications of this visit remain ambiguous. Trump has consistently asserted that a resolution to the conflict is imminent since mid-March; however, both parties have demonstrated minimal public progress toward achieving consensus. Iran has requested the removal of sanctions, the unfreezing of foreign assets, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region. Washington has urged Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, which Tehran asserts is intended for peaceful purposes.
Iran asserts that any peace agreement must also put an end to the attacks by its ally, Israel, in Lebanon; however, the ongoing conflict exhibits no indications of abating. Israel announced that it had focused on the infrastructure of Iran-backed Hezbollah militants located in the southern city of Tyre and executed a strike in the capital, Beirut. Israel has displaced hundreds of thousands of individuals with a push deep into Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah. The Lebanese army reported that a strike resulted in the death of one of its soldiers. The US issued a warning to Oman against engaging in any initiatives with Iran aimed at imposing a toll in the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, Trump escalated tensions by threatening to bomb the country, notwithstanding the longstanding economic and military relations between the two nations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Oman’s ambassador informed him there were no intentions to implement such tolls. Oman has refrained from addressing the concept of joint control of the strait with Iran, despite indicating that it has engaged in discussions regarding freedom of navigation. Tehran conveyed its support for Oman in response to what it described as “US officials’ threats”.
