WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran have reached a tentative agreement to extend their ceasefire for another 60 days and lift shipping restrictions through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, though the deal awaits final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iranian state media notes the deal is not finalized yet. The deal would allow traffic to resume through the waterway—where daily crossings have dropped 88% since the war began on February 28, 2026—while negotiators address core issues like Iran’s nuclear program.

Under the proposal, the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and ease some oil sanctions.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to act as mediator and meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday.

The breakthrough comes amid fragile negotiations and recent tit-for-tat strikes during the Eid al-Adha holiday.

U.S. Central Command recently shot down five Iranian drones and struck a control station in Bandar Abbas, prompting Kuwait to intercept a retaliatory Iranian missile fired near a U.S. base.

Concurrently, U.S. officials denied Iranian state television claims that an American aircraft was shot down near Bushehr.

Geopolitical tensions remain high as Trump threatened to bomb Oman over potential Hormuz shipping tolls though Oman denies having such plans.

Iran continues to link a broader peace deal to halting Israel’s ongoing military offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.