The US and Iran have reached a tentative agreement to extend a ceasefire between them by 60 days and to launch talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, according to a US official with knowledge of the talks.
US President Donald Trump will still need to sign off on the emerging deal, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press on Thursday.
Iran has not confirmed any deal has been struck between the two countries.
The tentative agreement comes as the fragile seven-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appeared to be wavering, with both sides repeatedly accusing each other of violating it in the last few days.
Earlier on Thursday, US Central Command said Kuwait had intercepted missiles from Iran on Wednesday night, with military officials calling the incident an “egregious ceasefire violation”.
Iran said it had fired on a US base in a Gulf state it did not name in retaliation for strikes earlier in the week, making it unclear if the missiles were intended to hit Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned Iran for what it called “blatant aggression”.
American forces had shot down four one-way attack drones around the Strait of Hormuz and hit a ground-control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth, US officials said on Wednesday evening.
On Monday, the US also conducted what the Pentagon called “self-defense” strikes on missile launch sites and minelaying boats in southern Iran.
Both sides have continued to negotiate despite the attacks, with Trump insisting his administration was making headway in the talks.
“Right now I think it looks like (Iran) just want to make a deal, I don’t think they have a choice,” Trump said during a meeting with his cabinet on Wednesday.
The US president wants the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened, and for Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The Islamic Republic is looking for economic sanctions to be lifted and frozen assets to be released to aid its shattered economy.
Any deal between the countries must also include an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, Iran has insisted.
A US-brokered ceasefire went into effect in Lebanon in mid-April, and Lebanese and Israeli military officials are set to hold their first security talks Friday in Washington.
It was reported on Thursday that Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people in southern Lebanon, while one soldier was killed in a drone attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel.
At least 3,269 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, with more than 9,800 wounded.
Israel says at least 23 soldiers and a defence contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel -the vast majority killed by drones.
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