WASHINGTON — A potential breakthrough between the United States and Iran appeared within reach Friday, but major questions remained unresolved as President Donald Trump prepared to make a final decision on a proposed memorandum of understanding aimed at extending a fragile ceasefire and restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators had reportedly reached a tentative framework for the agreement, according to reports, but Iran had not publicly confirmed that it had accepted the terms, and Trump had not yet given final approval.
Trump publicly laid out several conditions he said Iran must meet, including a commitment that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted commercial shipping without tolls.
He also said any remaining naval mines in the strategic waterway would have to be removed or detonated. Trump indicated that the U.S. naval blockade could subsequently be lifted, allowing ships that had been delayed in the region to begin heading home.
 Nuclear Issue Remains the Biggest Hurdle
The most difficult part of the negotiations remained Iran’s nuclear program.
The proposed framework called for the two sides to use a 60-day ceasefire extension for further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities, including its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The fate of that material remained a major point of disagreement.
Trump said the highly enriched material would have to be dealt with under U.S. and international oversight, while Iran had not publicly demonstrated that it was prepared to accept all of those conditions.
 Hormuz Becomes Central to the Deal
The Strait of Hormuz emerged as another crucial element. A draft framework reported earlier called for commercial shipping through the waterway to return toward normal levels, while the United States would eventually lift its naval blockade.
For now, however, the proposed agreement remained a work in progress.
Trump said he was heading to the Situation Room to make a final determination, leaving the region watching closely for whether diplomacy would produce a formal agreement—or whether unresolved disputes would send the conflict back toward escalation.
