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Trump Proposes 60-Day Iran Deal to Halt War, Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Trump Proposes 60-Day Iran Deal to Halt War, Reopen Strait of Hormuz
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President Donald Trump circulated a draft memorandum of understanding to Israel and other allies outlining a 60‑day framework to halt the U.S.–Iran war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin new nuclear talks, even as the White House publicly disputed an alternative text released by Iranian state media coindesk +2. The move came amid a fragile ceasefire and continued “self‑defense” strikes, with both Tehran and Washington signalling they were close to a deal but still waiting on final approval from Trump and Iran’s leadership newschannel9 +2.

The draft, described by U.S. officials as a “relief for performance” plan, would tie phased sanctions relief and access to billions in frozen Iranian assets to concrete steps such as de‑mining the Strait of Hormuz and pledges on nuclear activities eciks +1. Pakistan’s foreign minister is due in Washington on Friday as part of an intensive mediation effort led by Pakistan, Qatar and other regional partners to keep the ceasefire from collapsing while the text is refined coindesk +1.

What’s in Trump’s Draft – and What Remains Unwritten

Reporting on the draft suggests a 60‑day, renewable MoU that would formalise the ceasefire, require Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within roughly 30 days, and commit Tehran not to pursue nuclear weapons while negotiators hash out the fate of its stockpile of about 440 kg of 60%‑enriched uranium eciks +2. In return, Iran could gain staggered access to between $12 billion and $25 billion in frozen funds and see some sanctions and maritime restrictions eased as benchmarks are met, a structure a U.S. official summed up as “relief for performance” eciks +1.

Crucially, the text under discussion appears to defer detailed, binding nuclear limits and verification measures to subsequent talks, and may also include language aimed at ending fighting “on all fronts,” including Lebanon, without fully resolving the status of Hezbollah’s arsenal eciks +2. Analysts warned that any framework that pushes core nuclear and regional security disputes into later phases will require either “painful concessions” or strategic ambiguity to hold, raising questions about enforcement and durability once the short window expires cbsnews +1.

Allies Divided as Israel Bristles and Gulf States Push for Stability

Israeli leaders have reacted with open anxiety, fearing a rushed deal could leave Iran’s enrichment capabilities and regional proxy network largely intact while constraining Israel’s freedom of action against Hezbollah and other groups coindesk +2. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the emerging framework “bad for Israel, bad for the region, bad for the citizens of Iran,” while far‑right ministers urged a return to intensified operations in Lebanon rather than accepting what they see as a temporary pause on Iran’s terms nytimes +1. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense call over the new proposal, underscoring the widening gap between Washington’s appetite for an off‑ramp and Israel’s insistence on tougher guarantees cnbc +1.

By contrast, Gulf states and mediators such as Pakistan, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have largely welcomed the concept of a time‑limited, staged deal that would restore commercial shipping, cool regional tensions and ease oil market pressures eciks +2. Markets have already responded to signals of progress, with oil prices easing on reports of updated Iranian proposals and a narrowing of differences, even as sporadic strikes and heated rhetoric from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reminded traders that the risk of renewed escalation remains high yahoo +2.

The Bigger Picture

The draft circulating among allies highlights how the war that began with U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran in February has pushed all sides toward an imperfect diplomatic stopgap that trades comprehensive solutions for near‑term de‑escalation agenzianova +1. Whether this 60‑day experiment becomes a bridge to a more durable settlement—or merely a pause before a new cycle of conflict—will depend on decisions in Washington and Tehran in the coming days, and on whether sceptical players in Israel, the U.S. Congress and Iran’s security establishment accept that even a limited agreement is better than sliding back toward open war.