US, Iran agree to extend 60-day ceasefire ahead of Aug. 17 deadline

The US and Iran have “agreed” to extend a 60-day ceasefire under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as the agreement is set to expire on Aug. 17, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

“Both sides have conveyed their consent to the mediators to extend the deadline,” a source close to the mediation process said.

“However, the two sides are exchanging messages to decide on the extension period,” the source added.

The US and Iran agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and later signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, launching negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

Between July 8 and July 24, the US and Iran exchanged military strikes, with Washington launching attacks on targets inside Iran and Tehran responding by striking what it described as US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

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