WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/KUWAIT CITY - US and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch talks on Iran's nuclear program, but US President Donald Trump has yet to give his final approval, US media Axios reported Thursday, citing US officials and a regional source.

The US negotiators briefed Trump on the details of the final deal, but he did not immediately sign off, said the report.

"The president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it," a US official was quoted as saying.

Iran has also not confirmed its acceptance, though the report, citing US officials, claimed that the Iranian negotiators had said they had the necessary approvals and were prepared to sign.

The 60-day MoU will state that shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz will be "unrestricted", said the report. A US official was quoted as saying that this means no tolls and no harassment and that Iran will have to remove all mines from the strait within 30 days.

The US naval blockade on all Iranian ports will also be lifted, but that will happen in proportion to the restoration of commercial shipping, one of the US officials said, adding that Washington would also issue some sanctions waivers to allow Tehran to sell oil freely.

The MoU will include an Iranian commitment not to pursue a nuclear weapon, the officials said. It will also state that the first issues to be negotiated during the 60-day window will be how to dispose of Iran's highly enriched uranium and how to address Iranian enrichment.

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The White House will commit to discuss sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds as part of the negotiations, according to the report, adding that the MoU will also include a discussion of a mechanism to help Iran start receiving goods and humanitarian aid.

The MoU would also state that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end -- an issue on which Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had at least one tense discussion, said the report.

"This is an agreement to get everybody to the table. We will work out the details in the negotiations," one of the US officials was quoted as saying.

'MoU not finalized'

A source close to Iran's negotiating team has denied reports claiming that the text of the proposed MoU had been finalized, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

The source told Tasnim that reports suggesting the text was merely awaiting formal announcement by the two sides were "not consistent with the facts", adding that the document "has not yet been finalized".

According to the source, Iran has not formally informed Pakistani mediators that the text has been completed.

The source stressed that if the agreement text is ultimately finalized, Iran will officially notify the Pakistani mediators and make the matter public. Until then, any Western reports claiming the agreement has already been completed "lack credibility", the source added.

'Unconditional, full' release of frozen assets

Tasnim also reported that Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has called for the "unconditional and full" release of Iran's frozen assets.

"We seek the release of all Iranian assets frozen by the United States, and this is the Iranian nation's legal right," said the senior security official.

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He stressed that the Iranian assets must be returned to the country "in their entirety and unconditionally".

A high-level Iranian delegation arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Monday for talks with Qatari officials on a possible peace agreement with the United States and the potential US release of the frozen funds as part of a final deal.

Reports on US aircraft being shot down  

In another development, the US Central Command said no US aircraft were shot down by Iranian forces on Thursday, rejecting Iranian media reports.

Iran's air defenses were reportedly activated Thursday night in the southern province of Bushehr, with an "invading" US drone destroyed.

"No US aircraft were shot down. All US air assets are accounted for," the command said on X.

The Tasnim news agency cited a military source as saying that Iran's air defenses intercepted an "invading" US drone near Bushehr by firing missiles, while the semi-official Fars news agency said Iran's armed forces fired missiles at certain targets from the country's southern regions, with some local sources reporting the possibility of clashes in the Gulf.

Concurrently, the semi-official Mehr news agency said the Iranian armed forces fired warning shots at four vessels near the Strait of Hormuz that sought to cross the waterway without coordination with Iran.

Twenty-six ships cross Hormuz Strait in past 24 hours

Also on Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said 26 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and coordinating with its Navy.

In a statement on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said that the previous night, several ships attempted to enter the Gulf without authorization by tampering with and disabling their navigation systems. Its naval forces stopped two of them and forced the rest to return after radio warnings.

The IRGC said it is exercising smart control over the Strait of Hormuz with full power, and the 26 vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, transited via the Iran-designated safe route.

'Dangerous escalation'

In a statement on social media platform X, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry on Thursday strongly condemned what it described as Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting its territory, warning that the strikes threatened regional stability amid intensified diplomatic efforts to contain tensions.

The ministry described the attacks as "a dangerous escalation" and "a blatant violation of Kuwait's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity", which posed "a direct threat" to civilians and vital infrastructure.

The ministry said the strikes came at a particularly sensitive moment, when several "brotherly and friendly nations" were working to reduce tensions and preserve stability in the region.

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"These attacks only deepen the seriousness of the situation and undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving regional security and stability," it said.