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Iran pushed back Wednesday against American media reports claiming that Iranian and U.S. negotiators had reached a 60-day interim agreement to extend a ceasefire and hold further discussions on Tehran's nuclear program, with an Iranian official calling the accounts inaccurate.
An unnamed member of Iran's negotiating team told the semi-official Tasnim News Agency that reports circulating in Western outlets, claiming a so-called memorandum of understanding had been finalized and was awaiting announcement by both sides — were false. "The text has not yet been finalized," the official said.
The Iranian official added that if and when a memorandum of understanding is reached, Iran would notify Pakistan, which has been serving as a mediator in the talks — as well as the broader public.
The reports originated from Axios, which cited two anonymous U.S. officials as saying that negotiators from both sides had agreed on a 60-day framework to extend a ceasefire and create space for discussions on Iran's nuclear activities. The report also indicated that the agreement was pending approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Axios, the draft text included provisions for the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most critical oil shipping chokepoints — to remain fully open to commercial vessels, in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The conflicting accounts underscore the fragile and opaque nature of ongoing U.S.-Iran diplomacy. Indirect and direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program have been a recurring feature of international diplomacy for over two decades, with talks repeatedly stalling over issues including uranium enrichment levels, sanctions relief, and verification mechanisms.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has not issued a formal statement on the matter. No U.S. government spokesperson had confirmed or denied the Axios report at the time of Iran's rebuttal.
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