Trump asks for time to review US-Iran nuclear deal

US and Iranian negotiators have reached agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding that would extend the ongoing ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald Trump has requested additional time to review the deal before providing final approval, according to US officials cited by Axios. Iranian negotiators have already secured internal approval and are prepared to sign, while Trump, after being briefed on the terms, asked for several days to consider the agreement. The development comes amid a volatile period in US-Iran relations, with the two sides conducting defensive strikes against each other in recent days. Regional hostilities escalated sharply on Thursday as the United States and Iran exchanged military strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, Kuwait faced Iranian missile and drone attacks, and Israel resumed strikes in Lebanon for the first time since the ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect. US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones near the strategic waterway and struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone, with the Pentagon characterizing the actions as "purely defensive." Iran responded by targeting a US base in retaliation, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened a "firm response" if American attacks continue. The UAE and Gulf Cooperation Council strongly condemned Iran's attacks on Kuwait, calling them violations of international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had ordered the military to take control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, defying the terms of the January ceasefire, while also breaking all contact with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over a report that allegedly blacklisted Israel for sexual violence in conflict zones. Israel's military carried out strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs and the Lebanese city of Tyre, killing at least 14 people including women and children, with the attacks coming as Pakistan's Foreign Minister traveled to Washington to help broker the US-Iran deal. The escalating tensions have driven oil prices up more than $2 per barrel and prompted the European Central Bank to signal that its recent decision to hold interest rates was a "close call" as the Middle East conflict threatens to persist longer than expected.