Trump Weighs Iran Deal to Extend Ceasefire

President Donald Trump is meeting with his top advisors in the White House Situation Room to decide whether to accept a tentative agreement that would extend the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran for 60 days, according to multiple reports. The deal, which follows intense negotiations, aims to address key issues including Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The proposed agreement includes the removal of Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which 20% of the world’s energy supply passes daily. Trump has emphasized that Iran must agree never to possess nuclear weapons and that the strait will reopen without tolls for unrestricted shipping traffic in both directions.

However, Iranian officials have expressed skepticism about the deal. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s Parliament, stated that his country does not trust guarantees or words from the American side and would take no action before the U.S. acts first. This sentiment was echoed by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, which described Trump's comments about the deal as a 'mixture of truth and lies' aimed at portraying a fabricated victory.

The tentative agreement also addresses Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a key ingredient for nuclear weapons. The U.S. has proposed that this material be unearthed and destroyed in coordination with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, details about how extensive sanctions relief would be or when it would begin remain unclear.

Despite the potential deal, tensions remain high. Recent strikes by both sides have threatened the fragile ceasefire, including an Iranian missile attack on Kuwait and U.S. strikes on Iranian missile launchers and minelaying boats. The war has been unpopular with the American public and has caused global economic disruptions by pushing up energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.