Iran and the US have agreed to extend the ceasefire - media
While the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the agreement had expired and Tehran had not committed to adhering to it, Al Arabiya reported that Iran and the US had agreed to extend the ceasefire.
Iran and the United States have agreed to extend the ceasefire, Al Arabiya reported on August 17, citing sources. The agreement would extend the 60-day ceasefire stipulated in the memorandum of understanding.
Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that neither side was ready to extend the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which expires on August 17. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said at the time: “We have not yet made a decision to resume negotiations with the United States.”
According to Al Jazeera, the agreement, signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pazakhstani on June 17, was reached as a result of negotiations brokered by Pakistan. It was supposed to end a war that had killed thousands and disrupted trade in the Persian Gulf, particularly oil and gas exports, after more than three months.
The memorandum called for Iran and the United States to “immediately cease hostilities” and “confirm the final agreement, which will include a complete cessation of hostilities on all fronts.” The document stipulated that the final agreement would have to be approved by the UN Security Council and concluded within a maximum of 60 days, which could be extended by mutual agreement.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaie announced on August 17 that the memorandum had lost its validity due to Washington’s violations. Mehr news agency quoted Baqaie as saying at a briefing that “the United States has been violating the memorandum of understanding from the very beginning.”
According to the diplomat, the text of the memorandum of understanding "does not contain a clause specifying a 60-day period." He explained that the document only provides for negotiations on the nuclear issue for 60 days. Baqaie stressed that Iran is not bound by any deadline, but will make a decision based on its national interests and considerations.