US Vice President JD Vance said that it remains “TBD” whether President Donald Trump will sign a tentative memorandum of understanding with Iran, as negotiations continue over key nuclear-related issues.
“I think it’s hard to say exactly when or if the president is going to sign the MOU. We’re going back and forth on a couple of language points,” Vance told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
Vance said discussions were still ongoing over Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and enrichment-related provisions.
“There are a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff, the highly enriched stockpile, and also the question of enrichment,” he said.
While noting that progress had been made, Vance added that the US believes Tehran is “negotiating, at least so far, in good faith.”
Iran’s armed forces launched missiles from southern Iran towards “specific targets” a short while ago, though the exact destination of the missiles was not immediately clear, as reported by Al Jazeera quote Iranian news agency Fars.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that US President Donald Trump “wanted to punctuate freedom of navigation in the Strait” when he made a threat to “blow up” Oman during recent remarks on the Strait of Hormuz.
Bessent added that he spoke with the Omani ambassador, who “assured” him that there are no plans to introduce any tolling mechanism or restrictions in the strategic waterway, reinforcing US concerns over keeping the passage open for global shipping.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that the United States will halt Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, among other measures, as Washington pushes to intensify pressure on Tehran and open the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, Bessent said Washington will “be shutting down both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling, and ticket sales,” without providing further details.
“Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral,” he warned.
- Kuwait’s military said its air defence systems intercepted “hostile missile and drone attacks” after warning sirens sounded across the country.
- Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the IRGC targeted an “American airbase” in response to an earlier US strike near Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz.
- Reuters and AP said American forces shot down four Iranian drones and struck a drone control station near Bandar Abbas.
- Iranian media claimed the US strikes caused no casualties or property damage.
- The latest escalation comes after Donald Trump said “nobody’s going to control” the Strait of Hormuz during ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
- The Israeli military said a female soldier was killed in combat operations in northern Israel, while two other soldiers were injured in the same incident.
- The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority as Washington increases economic pressure on Tehran.
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