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Tentative U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire Extension Deal Awaits Trump’s Approval

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28.05.2026

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a potential deal to extend the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, Canada’s exclusion from U.S.-Mexico trade talks, and the threat of near-record-high temperatures over the next five years.

Will They, Won’t They?

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have tentatively agreed to a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the two sides’ cease-fire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and kick-start nuclear talks. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on the deal, and Iran has not publicly committed to the plan yet either.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a potential deal to extend the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, Canada’s exclusion from U.S.-Mexico trade talks, and the threat of near-record-high temperatures over the next five years.

Will They, Won’t They?

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have tentatively agreed to a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the two sides’ cease-fire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and kick-start nuclear talks. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on the deal, and Iran has not publicly committed to the plan yet either.

“This is an agreement to get everybody to the table,” an unnamed U.S. official told Axios on Thursday. “We will work out the details in the negotiations.” At a White House press briefing later that day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent repeatedly declined to confirm that a deal had been agreed to, saying, “Everything depends on what the president wants to do.”

The White House has previously claimed to be close to a deal with Iran, only to have talks stall. U.S. negotiators reportedly briefed Trump on the details of the 60-day plan on Tuesday, but the president did not immediately sign off on it, instead saying that he wanted a few days to think it through. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that the Iranians “want very much to make a deal” but that “we’re not satisfied with it.”

In theory, the memorandum would extend the cease-fire to allow the two sides to hold nuclear talks. In practice, though, both countries have already accused the other of violating the existing truce. On Tuesday, U.S. forces carried out so-called “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran that targeted missile launch sites and boats. The following day, the U.S. military conducted a second round of strikes, intercepting five drones and hitting an........

© Foreign Policy