US-Iran negotiations have narrowed sharply. Reuters, citing two Iranian sources, reported that negotiators have stepped back from pursuing a full peace agreement and are now trying to secure an interim memorandum instead, after failing to bridge major differences over Iran’s nuclear program. The immediate goal is to prevent fighting from resuming once the two-week ceasefire expires.
The change in approach followed talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend that ended without a result. US officials and Pakistani mediators had expressed optimism beforehand, but the nuclear file remained unresolved. One Western diplomat described it as the “core obstacle” standing in the way of a broader settlement.
HEU stockpiles and suspension timelines remain unresolved
An Iranian senior official said the deepest disagreements center on two issues. First, Washington is demanding that Iran remove its highly enriched uranium stockpiles. Second, the two sides cannot agree on how long Tehran should suspend nuclear work, especially uranium enrichment.
Iran has long insisted that Washington recognize what it calls its legitimate right to enrich uranium, while maintaining that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. Western powers and Israel have continued to argue that the program could ultimately be aimed at building a nuclear weapon. That gap has kept the talks from moving quickly.
Hormuz shipping access emerges as a possible trade-off
While the nuclear dispute remains stuck, the report said differences over management of the Strait of Hormuz have started to narrow. The waterway carries about 20% of global oil and gas transport demand, yet most vessels have been forced to halt for weeks since the war began.
An Iranian senior official said Tehran wants the memorandum to include a provision under which Washington would unfreeze part of Iran’s funds, in exchange for allowing more ships to pass through the strait. Under a proposal referenced earlier in the report, Iran is also considering allowing vessels to move more freely through the Oman-side waters of Hormuz without facing attack risk, if a durable agreement is pursued.
A signed memorandum would open a 60-day negotiating window
With the ceasefire deadline approaching, the interim memorandum is being treated as a last buffer against a renewed escalation. Iranian sources said that if the memorandum aimed at stopping the conflict is signed, the US and Iran would then have 60 days to negotiate a final comprehensive agreement.
Reuters added that any final-stage talks would require deeper involvement from nuclear experts and the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA. For now, the fate of the negotiations still turns on the same issue that has blocked them so far: the nuclear program.