Iran has continued to launch a “large number” of drones toward merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz every night since the U.S. and Iran announced an understanding, NBC reported overnight, citing an American official. The source said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps kept up the fire each night after the agreement was announced, but U.S. forces intercepted the drones before they posed a threat to commercial vessels, military ships, or personnel in the area.
A leaked draft of the memorandum, whose authenticity is not fully clear but matches other reporting, says that once signed Iran will immediately take steps to ensure shipping between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman resumes within 30 days at prewar levels, while accounting for technical obstacles and Iranian demining. U.S. officials also told CNN that the memorandum is written in an “extremely vague” way to create a more favorable setting for technical talks with Iran, and to give Tehran a politically saleable deal. One official said, “The wording allows Iran to say what it needs for its domestic politics.”
The reported deal does not resolve the nuclear dispute, but postpones it for 60 days of future negotiations. It does, however, call for reopening the strait, at least for now without Iran charging ships, according to the reports. CNN sources said Iran privately indicated it would accept concessions the Trump administration wants, including American involvement in destroying enriched uranium in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency, although that is not written explicitly in the document.
The draft reportedly details economic relief Iran could receive if it fulfills its commitments, including future access to a $300 billion “reconstruction fund,” but is less clear on the release of frozen Iranian assets. Trump administration officials have said they want the text made public, and one source said copies are already circulating in Europe and among G7 officials meeting at the summit in Evian, France. Another said the draft may be delayed by internal Iranian debate over whether Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei should issue a statement before the formal signing in Switzerland. The agreement is also drawing criticism inside Trump’s party, while Axios reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Trump and other senior officials that U.S. intelligence has serious doubts about Iran’s willingness to make the nuclear concessions Washington wants. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth also raised concerns, while JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner backed the deal.
