reopen Strait – U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, extend a 60-day ceasefire, and keep shipping moving without tolls—but President Donald Trump has not approved it and Iran’s leadership has not signed off.
By the time the May 25 strikes hit their targets, the message from Washington was clear: the fight around the Strait of Hormuz was no longer theoretical.
Negotiators from the United States and Iran have now reached an agreement framework that would reopen the waterway and extend a 60-day ceasefire. even as military actions have flared back up and political pressure swirls at home. President Donald Trump has not yet approved the deal. and Iran’s leadership has not signed off either. leaving the proposal in limbo even as shipping corridors—critical to global energy—hang in the balance.
The latest push centers on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for “unfettered shipping” without tolls. Under the U.S. proposal, Iran would also be required to remove mines from the waterway within 30 days. In return, the United States would end a blockade of Iranian ports and waive some sanctions tied to oil sales.
While officials say discussions continue over Tehran’s nuclear program. the memorandum lays out additional commitments: Iran would agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and would enter negotiations over how to dispose of its enriched uranium. The United States would consider further easing sanctions. The memorandum was first reported by Axios.
But that framework depends on approvals that have not come through yet. American officials said Trump has not signed off. A regional official said Iran’s leadership also hasn’t approved it and that the American proposal was delivered to Pakistan, which then passed it to Iranian negotiators.
That friction matters because it collides with the president’s public posture about timing and leverage. Over the weekend. Trump signaled that a peace accord was imminent. then tempered expectations for a quick deal after “blowback. ” saying he told negotiators not to rush. Since then, hostilities have resumed.
The cycle of diplomacy and force has played out in the details. On May 25, U.S. military strikes targeted boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites in Iran, according to United States Central Command. CENTCOM described the strikes as defensive efforts “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”.
On May 27, CENTCOM accused Iran of an “egregious ceasefire violation,” saying Tehran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was intercepted. That day, CENTCOM also said five attack drones around the Strait of Hormuz were shot down, and that a sixth drone was prevented from launching.
Against that backdrop. Trump has continued to talk about securing a deal as the Iran war reaches the three-month mark—while warning he could escalate if Tehran does not accept U.S. terms. During a May 27 Cabinet meeting. Trump said. “I think we’re doing very well. I think they’re starting to give us the things that they have to give us. and if they won’t then the man on my left is gonna finish them off. ” pointing to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
The Strait of Hormuz itself is the kind of flashpoint that turns negotiations into household concerns. Roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil flows through the waterway. Its closure has driven up gas prices, frustrating American consumers. Polls show most Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran. but Trump said he is not concerned about how the war could affect the 2026 midterm elections.
On May 27, Trump suggested Tehran believed it could wait him out. He said the regime in Tehran “thought they were going to outwait me” on a peace deal. He then doubled down on the political stance in plain terms: “We’ll outwait him. He’s got the midterms,” Trump said. “I don’t care about the midterms.”.
The sequence now is difficult to miss: a deal that would require mine removal within 30 days and end a blockade of Iranian ports is on the table, but the approvals that make it real have not arrived—while drones and missiles keep crossing the same stretch of water.
As negotiations continue over the nuclear track and the parties hash out how to handle enriched uranium. the core question for the next phase of this standoff is straightforward: when the ceasefire extends and the Strait reopens. will the terms move from proposal to enforcement—or will the next round of strikes interrupt the calendar again?.
Strait of Hormuz Iran nuclear program 60-day ceasefire Trump administration CENTCOM ballistic missile toward Kuwait oil prices sanctions on oil sales Iranian ports blockade mines removal
So basically they found a “deal” but Trump didn’t do it? Cool.
I don’t get how mines are the part that matters most but sure. If Iran has to remove them in 30 days, why are we even still stalling? Sounds like everybody’s just talking while the shipping gets messed up.
Wait Pakistan sent it? So the U.S. makes a plan and then it goes through Pakistan to Iran?? That just seems backwards, like why not direct approval. Also “no tolls” on ships… that’s not gonna stop missiles flying if leaders want conflict.
Honestly this feels like that same thing where they announce a ceasefire and then it doesn’t matter. Trump not signing and Iran not signing, so it’s just paper on paper. Meanwhile people act like it’s “unfettered shipping” like that means safe shipping? because it sure didn’t stop the May strikes in the first place.