Vice President JD Vance declared Thursday that a ceasefire extension deal with Iran was within reach, but President Trump is deliberately taking time before signing off on the accord. Vance, who has led U.S. negotiations with Tehran, said negotiators were working through final language details and that he felt optimistic about the prospects, though nothing is certain.
The proposed memorandum of understanding would lock in a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch substantive talks aimed at constraining Iran's nuclear ambitions. Such an agreement would mark the most significant diplomatic win since hostilities began, though a comprehensive nuclear accord would demand months of additional haggling.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators have already hammered out the framework, according to reporting Thursday. Iranian officials signaled through mediating nations that they had obtained internal approvals and stood ready to sign. A representative from one of the intermediary countries corroborated the claim.
Trump's team briefed him on the specifics, but he declined immediate endorsement. "The president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it," said a U.S. official. By Thursday afternoon, Trump appeared inclined toward approval but had not yet committed.
The president's caution reflects two concerns. One is fear that Iranian leaders might abandon the deal after signing, according to administration officials. The other is a desire to gauge public and political reaction domestically before making a final decision. Trump held a call Thursday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani to discuss the arrangement. Qatar serves as a crucial back-channel between Washington and Tehran.
Iran's government has not issued any public statement about the emerging accord. However, Tasnim News Agency, which has close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, quoted an unnamed source claiming the MOU had not been finalized. The divergence between U.S. confidence and Iranian messaging underscores the fragility of the negotiations.
Vance acknowledged the uncertainty. "I can't guarantee that we're going to get there," he said Thursday. "We're going back and forth on a couple of language points. We've made a lot of progress here. Hopefully, we'll continue to make progress and the president will be in a position where he can endorse the agreement, but obviously that's still TBD."
The Trump administration has pursued diplomatic progress on Iran repeatedly throughout the conflict, only to see momentum collapse. Senior officials now hope that a brief cooling-off period might allow Trump to absorb counsel and ensure Tehran remains committed before he formally endorses the accord.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's hesitation is either shrewd caution or another false dawn, and only the next 48 hours will tell."
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