Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Tech Style & Beauty Kitchen & Dining Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsWorldIsrael & Middle EastU.S., Iran reach tentative deal to extend ceasefire and hold further talksThe U.S. and Iran have had a fragile truce in place since early April, which has been interrupted by isolated military strikesAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent answers questions durnig a press briefing at the White House on May 28, 2026. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty ImagesThe U.S. and Iran have reached a tentative deal to extend a ceasefire by 60 days and launch further talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, a U.S. source familiar with the matter said, raising hopes the three-month conflict could be nearing a resolution.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, confirmed an earlier report from Axios. President Donald Trump has yet to agree to the terms. Both countries have previously hailed progress, with Trump repeatedly indicating the U.S. was close to securing an agreement — only for the stalemate to drag on.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday would only say “the teams have been going back and forth” when pressed if an interim deal has been clinched. He insisted Trump’s three “red lines” — reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran turning over highly enriched uranium and ending its nuclear program — remain necessary for any pact.Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Channel Israel will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“If there can be no deal without those, why would there be a deal without those?” he said at a White House briefing. “Everything depends on what the president wants to do and President Trump is not going to make a bad deal for the American people, for the U.S.”The U.S. and Iran have had a fragile truce in place since early April, which has been interrupted by isolated military strikes. Axios reported that Trump asked for “a couple of days” to think about the agreement.Fada-Hossein Maleki, an Iranian lawmaker and member of the country’s parliamentary commission for national security, said negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have shown “significant progress,” according to the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency.The U.S. still has to decide on a number of Iran’s conditions, the ISNA quoted Maleki as saying, without giving details.Oil prices pared gains to trade near US$95 a barrel, having earlier risen after the two sides accused each other of breaching the ceasefire. Stocks and bonds both rallied on the news.The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding would state that shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz would be “unrestricted,” Axios reported. Iran would have to remove all mines from the strait within 30 days, according to the report.Bessent also said there were no plans for Oman to levy tolls on shipments through the key waterway, one day after Trump said he would “blow them up” if the long-term ally started to charge for transit.The secretary said he had spoken to the Omani ambassador earlier Thursday and received assurances “there were no plans for tolling the strait.”The news followed overnight clashes between the U.S. and Iran, with both sides condemning the other for violating the truce.U.S. forces shot down four Iranian drones fired at a commercial ship and hit a launch unit near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official, who said the strikes were defensive and the ceasefire remains intact. Iran targeted the U.S. base from which the assault came, state-run Press TV reported in a post on X.The U.S. and Kuwait said the Gulf state had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Tehran toward the country.The effective closure of the Hormuz Strait since the start of the war in late February has strangled about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, leading to a surge in prices and boosting inflation.The U.S. Treasury Department said it took action against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, accusing it of launching a new attempt “to monetize its campaign of state-sponsored terror by extorting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”Iran has expanded its claimed jurisdiction and set out new rules for vessels seeking to transit the waterway. That involves seafarers dealing with the new Iranian agency and sometimes getting payment requests of as much as US$2 million for safe passage.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said 26 commercial ships and oil tankers have transited the waterway in the past 24 hours after obtaining permission, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Thursday, citing an IRGC statement. Vessels attempting unauthorized entry into the Persian Gulf were stopped by Iran’s naval forces, it said.Just two ships were observed transiting into the Persian Gulf, while a Chinese fuel tanker apparently paused midway on its voyage out, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.The U.S. president has instituted his own blockade of Iranian ports and called for allies to assist with the effort to open the strait so that commercial vessels can resume safe passage. He’s also threatened to resume major airstrikes against Iran — all to little avail.Trump finds himself caught between Iranian demands for an end to attacks as well as financial relief, and pressure from hawks to finish the job — or at least not to sign a bad deal.Adding to the challenge are his own comments over the years lambasting his predecessors for signing or considering deals similar to the one that has the best chance of success.As well as the issue of Iran’s nuclear program — Trump’s oft-stated reason for starting the war — the sides need to agree on what portion of Iran’s US$24 billion of financial assets will be unfrozen and how quickly. On Thursday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran wants all of its assets that are blocked by the U.S. to be released. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.