Pakistan's prime minister says the United State and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a social media post Friday that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal. He wrote: "Peace has never been this close." No details were given. But three regional officials who spoke Friday to The Associated Press said they expect the deal to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. A senior U.S. official said terms include removal or destruction of nuclear material from Iran. All four officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive negotiations.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he has called off new military strikes on Iran, hours after threatening to escalate the war. Trump had threatened major strikes on Iran and to seize control of its oil and gas industries as escalating attacks between the countries pushed the Middle East closer to full-scale war. The threats to seize Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal came after the U.S and Iran traded strikes for a second straight day. Trump told Fox News that while he would prefer to take over Kharg Island, he's not sure that "America has the stomach for it." Iran's parliamentary speaker warned on social media that an "endless quagmire" could result.

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening more airstrikes on Iran. The U.S. military says it launched strikes on Iranian military sites Wednesday. Tehran fired back at countries in the region. Trump told reporters at the White House hours later that "we're going to hit them again hard today." The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war. Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month ceasefire. Iran and Israel targeted each other on Monday. Shortly after Trump spoke, the U.S. military said it had fired on an oil tanker trying to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockade on Iranian ports.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran was responsible for shooting down an American military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. "must" respond to the attack. Trump made the comment Tuesday in a social media post after a drone boat rescued the crew of the Apache attack helicopter that crashed near the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively closed during its war with the U.S. and Israel. It was the first known drone rescue at sea by the U.S. military. Capt. Tim Hawkins is a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. He said the unmanned boat located the two aviators and brought them to shore.

U.S. President Donald Trump has held a White House Situation Room meeting with his advisers as he ponders moving forward with a deal to extend the Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the agreement has not been finalized. Ahead of Friday's meeting, Trump said he was looking to make a "final determination." A senior administration official later said the roughly two-hour meeting with national security aides concluded. The official would not say whether Trump had made a decision to sign off on the tentative agreement. The official wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke Thursday to The Associated Press. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said President Donald Trump still needs to sign off on the emerging memorandum of understanding. Iran did not immediately confirm any deal with the United States. The tentative agreement comes at a moment when the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appears to be wavering.

Iran has denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of bad faith as negotiations press on toward a possible deal to end the war. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic began restoring internet access after a monthslong national shutdown. The U.S. military characterized Monday's strikes in southern Iran as defensive, saying targets included missile launch sites and minelaying boats. American military officials said the U.S. acted with restraint in light of the weekslong ceasefire. On Tuesday, Iran's foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for all consequences, without elaborating.

Kuwait accused Iran of launching a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Middle East nation. The accusation brought Tuesday came just before U.S. President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues. Kuwait said a team of six armed members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island to carry out "hostile acts." Kuwait said that it detained four of the men while two escaped. Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait. With ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the U.S. at a standstill, ongoing attacks threaten to reignite open warfare.

Iran has created a government agency to control and tax vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. That's according to the shipping data company Lloyd's List Intelligence, which reported the move Thursday. The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping as hundreds of commercial ships remained bottled up in the Persian Gulf, unable to reach the open sea. A spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry said officials in Tehran are still reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace proposals between the Islamic Republic with the U.S.