The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring. Here’s where things stand

The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal, set by U.S. President Donald Trump in June, is approaching its expiration. The deal aimed to end the war with Iran and address its nuclear program, but tensions between the two sides have only increased. The interim agreement required the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and a U.S. blockade on Iran to be lifted, both of which were intended to occur during the 60-day period.

However, no progress has been made on these frontiers. Iran has not shown any willingness to compromise on the strait or engage in detailed nuclear talks. Meanwhile, the U.S. faces limited options for exiting the war it initiated alongside Israel. Yielding to Iran's demands would involve granting control over the critical international waterway, which would be seen as defeat.

Escalating the war would strain U.S. supplies of advanced missile interceptors, disrupt the global economy, and increase gas prices ahead of U.S. congressional elections. Both sides have become entrenched, and neither side is showing signs of yielding. The June deal, known as the Memorandum of Understanding, aimed to halt military operations and set a 60-day deadline for an agreement to permanently end the war and resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities.

However, the agreement's provisions have been largely abandoned amid ongoing conflict. A related truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has largely held in Lebanon, but Israeli troops remain in the country's south. Iran claims it stopped negotiating with the U.S. in June, although messages have been exchanged through intermediaries, while Trump insists talks continue intermittently, sometimes claiming progress.

Pakistan, which brokered the June agreement, noted the approaching deadline and hoped for its extension, expressing a desire to bring the parties to the negotiating table.