Draft proposes 60‑day US–Iran ceasefire with Strait of Hormuz safeguards

President Donald Trump said on May 23 that a U.S.-Iran agreement had been “largely negotiated” and would be announced shortly, describing it as a first-step memorandum tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. CNBC, citing Trump’s social media post and Iran’s foreign ministry, reported that the draft under discussion would begin with a memorandum of understanding and move to broader talks within 30 to 60 days. Axios reported on May 24 that the draft would extend the ceasefire for 60 days, reopen the strait to commercial shipping, allow Iran to sell oil and launch a new round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. That account, carried by multiple outlets citing a U.S. official and people familiar with the draft, matched the broad outline circulating on social media but also showed that several terms remained unsettled. (cnbc.com) ### What is actually in the draft being described? Axios reported that the proposed memorandum would let ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day period, with Iran clearing mines and the United States lifting its blockade on Iranian ports and issuing limited sanctions waivers. The same report said sanctions relief would be tied to verifiable Iranian steps under what it described as a “relief for performance” framework. (axios.com) The May 24 draft description also said Washington would negotiate broader sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian funds during the interim period, but would implement those steps only as part of a final agreement. Axios also said U.S. forces sent to the region in recent months would remain in place during the interim phase and withdraw only if a final deal were reached. (iranintl.com) ### Does this restore a nuclear deal right away? CNBC reported on May 23 that Trump’s public description did not mention a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program or on its highly enriched uranium stockpile, both of which his administration had previously treated as core issues. The same report said Iran had sought to postpone nuclear talks until after a formal end to hostilities. (iranintl.com) Axios reported that the draft instead includes Iranian commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate limits on uranium enrichment and the removal of highly enriched uranium stockpiles. That means the reported text is being described as an interim framework, not an immediate return to a full nuclear accord. ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz the main point of dispute? (cnbc.com) The Strait of Hormuz remained the clearest gap between the U.S. and Iranian public descriptions on May 24. Trump said the agreement would include reopening the waterway, a key chokepoint for global energy trade. Fars news agency, which CNBC and other outlets cited, said the latest exchanged text would keep the strait under Iran’s management and called Trump’s account “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.” AFP, cited by Gulf News, similarly reported that Fars said Trump’s claim of a full reopening was “far from reality.” (iranintl.com) ### Who is saying talks are still secret and unfinished? (cnbc.com) Sebastian Gorka, the White House National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, wrote on X on May 24 that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had “no knowledge” of what was being negotiated in secret regarding Iran. Iran International, citing Gorka’s post, said he added that any such knowledge would be unauthorized. (cnbc.com) Trump said on May 23 that he had spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about finalizing terms with Iran. CNBC reported that those calls were part of the effort to close remaining details. ### What can be verified right now — and what cannot? (iranintl.com) Reuters, as carried by U.S. News, reported on May 23 that Trump said a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal had been “largely negotiated” and that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened, with details to be unveiled soon. That confirms the existence of a public U.S. claim about an impending memorandum. (cnbc.com) The unresolved point on May 24 was not whether a draft existed, but whether both sides were describing the same draft the same way. The next verifiable step is the publication of final terms by the White House, Iran’s foreign ministry or mediating governments that Trump said were involved in the talks. (cnbc.com) (usnews.com)