In this handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) meets with Pakistan’s Army Chief Syed Asim Munir in Tehran. AFP
The source revealed that the United States had retreated from some of its initial positions and accepted many Iranian demands, but three major sticking points are threatening the talks.
The first dispute concerns Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has reportedly informed mediators that it will not engage in negotiations on nuclear issues during the current phase and that discussions on uranium enrichment and related matters would only begin in a later round if the opposing side first implements confidence-building measures.
The second unresolved issue involves frozen Iranian assets abroad, the release of which Iran stresses is a fundamental precondition for entering broader negotiations. “Without this happening, we will not enter negotiations at all,” the source was quoted as saying.
The third major dispute relates to control of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington wants maritime traffic through the strait restored fully to pre-war conditions, while Tehran insists it would only commit to restoring the number of vessels passing through the waterway, under a mechanism managed by Iran itself. The report said Iran intends to regulate maritime traffic through what it described as an “Iranian model,” under which ships would pass according to routes and procedures determined by Tehran.
The comments came as Iran, the United States, and mediator Pakistan all signalled progress in negotiations on Saturday.
Pakistan Defence Minister Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday, and the talks have reportedly produced “encouraging” progress toward a final agreement.
Sources cited by Reuters said the proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and opening a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement that could later be extended.
US President Donald Trump told CBS News on Saturday that Washington and Tehran were “getting a lot closer” to an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, meanwhile, confirmed that discussions had entered the final stage of drafting an MoU, according to remarks carried by Tasnim News Agency.
“Our focus at this stage is on ending the imposed war based on Iran’s 14-point proposal,” Baqaei said.
The conflict began on 28 February when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory Iranian attacks against Israeli and US-linked targets across the region.
A temporary ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect on 8 April, but subsequent negotiations have so far failed to secure a lasting settlement, leaving tensions high and global markets closely watching developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and regional security.
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