US and Iran Reach Preliminary Agreement on Ceasefire Extension, pending Trump's Approval

The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed on a draft 60-day memorandum of understanding aimed at extending the ceasefire and resuming negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, BBC reports. However, sources cited by Axios state that the document has not yet been formally approved by US President Donald Trump.

According to official reports, both sides have approved the major components of the memorandum, including ensuring free, tariff-free, and unharassed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Under the agreement, Iran has committed to removing naval mines from the strait's waters within 30 days. Additionally, this document is intended to launch broader negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program and the phased easing of international sanctions against the country.

Despite the ongoing negotiation process, mutual military strikes between the two nations were recorded over the past 24 hours. US armed forces struck an Iranian drone launch site, while Iran launched rocket and drone attacks against a US military base in Kuwait. The government of Kuwait condemned this action as a violation of its country's sovereignty and security, calling it a serious escalation, and demanded an immediate halt to the attacks from Iran.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that any new attacks by the United States would face a harsh response. Furthermore, Iranian leadership reacted to US President Donald Trump's statements regarding Oman, warning that military measures would be taken if destructive actions from Muscat were to recur.

Concurrently, other military operations in the Middle East remain in an active phase. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that they launched a strike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Thursday. According to intelligence sources, the primary target of the attack was Ali al-Husni, the commander of the rocket forces of the Imam Hussein Division, an Iranian armed formation operating jointly with Hezbollah. The strike hit the Choueifat area south of Beirut. In total, the IDF struck more than 135 Hezbollah targets over the past 24 hours.