Aya Batraoui

The deal being hammered out would be a preliminary agreement and not include technical points on Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian media say the deal under discussion extends the current ceasefire by another 60 days and opens the path for direct talks.

Iran would allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway it did not control before the war.

In turn, Iran says it wants the U.S.

to unfreeze its money in overseas banks and guarantee an end to Israel's war in Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

But Israel's prime minister has pushed back against Trump's diplomatic efforts with Iran.

And he says Trump affirmed to him that Israel has a right to, quote, defend itself against threats, which Benjamin Netanyahu says includes Lebanon.

this would only be a preliminary agreement, not a final deal.

It would essentially extend the current ceasefire by another 60 days and think of it more as a starting point for direct talks between the U.S.

and Iran.

And so what we've heard from Washington and Tehran is that this deal would include Iran gradually opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to getting energy flowing again from the Gulf to the rest of the world.

And what this deal does not include are details on Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian media report there are various interim proposals being discussed in Tehran, including one backed by China.

The key issue is Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war three months ago.

Iran established a new authority to approve and collect tolls from ships that want to transit the strategic waterway.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters a toll system can't happen.

The Trump administration wants Iran to store its enriched uranium abroad and pause its nuclear program.

Iran has signaled those are red lines and insists on a permanent ceasefire that lifts U.S.

sanctions.

Aya Baltarawi, NPR News, Dubai.