The United States and Iran have agreed in principle to extend a 60-day ceasefire, which was reached with the mediation of Pakistan and is expected to expire on August 17.
The news was announced by Pakistani government sources to the Anadolu Agency, according to which both sides have informed the mediators of their agreement to extend the ceasefire.
However, the length of the new period has not yet been determined. According to a source involved in the process, Washington and Tehran are exchanging messages to decide how long the extension will last.
The ceasefire was reached in April with the mediation of Pakistan, while on June 17 the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aiming to pave the way towards a final agreement.
Negotiations then faced difficulties, mainly due to disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic corridor for global trade and energy supplies.
Despite the ceasefire, armed clashes between the two countries occurred between July 8 and 24. The US carried out attacks on targets in Iran, while Tehran responded with attacks on facilities it considered to be linked to US forces in several countries in the region, including Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The extension of the ceasefire is seen as an important step in maintaining dialogue between Washington and Tehran, while Pakistani mediators continue efforts to set a new deadline and advance negotiations.
