Uncertainty looms over a final deal between the US and Iran as both sides signal cautious optimism regarding the ongoing talks before their two-week ceasefire expires on Tuesday April 21.
The Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s uranium stockpile remain two of the primary sticking points in negotiations as Tehran has reasserted control over the strategic shipping route while refusing to scale back its nuclear ambitions.
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington will not yield to Iranian “blackmail.”
Final Agreement Remains Far
Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf touted progress in negotiations with the US through intermediaries, but cautioned that a final deal remains far due to major differences.
“We have had progress but there is still a big distance between us,” he told Iranian state TV. “On some issues, conclusions have been reached in the negotiations, and on others not; we are still far from a final agreement,” he added.
Qalibaf clarified that disagreements remain over one or two key issues. “There are some issues on which we insist … They also have red lines. But these issues could be just one or two,” he said.
Dispute over Hormuz
On Saturday, Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, announcing it will keep the critical waterway shut until the US lifts it naval blockade on Iranian ports – a move that Tehran calls a violation of the ceasefire.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran’s control over the strait included demanding tolls related to security, safety and environmental protection services.
Meanwhile, the IRGC’s navy warned all ships to stay anchored around the strait, with at least two reported attacks from Iranian gunboats on commercial ships that tried to pass through.
In response, India summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi, voicing “deep concern” that two Indian-flagged ships had come under fire in the strait.
No Blackmail
Commenting on Iran’s decision to close Hormuz, Trump warned against Iranian “blackmail,” although he touted progress in talks. “They wanted to close up the strait again, as they have been doing for year, they can’t blackmail us,” he said, adding that the US is “taking a tough stand.”
Regarding the ongoing talks, Trump said that both sides “have very good conversations going on,” without giving details. “It’s working out very well – they got a little cute as they have been doing for 47 years,” Trump noted during a White House event on Saturday.
The Nuclear Issue
Iran’s uranium stockpile is another contentious issue in the ongoing talks to secure a deal. Tehran possesses about 440 kg of 60% enriched uranium, believed to be buried under nuclear sites bombed by the US last year.
Trump recently claimed that Iran had agreed to ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US. However, an Iranian official dismissed the claim, calling the demand a “non-starter.”
“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States. This is non-starter and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are nonstarters,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told the Associated Press (AP).
Khatibzadeh accused the US of insisting on demands that Iran considers excessive. “We are still not there yet to move on to an actual meeting because there are issues that the Americans have not yet abandoned their maximalist position,” he noted.
The US demanded a 20-year pause on Iran enriching uranium during talks in Islamabad last week, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. Iran, meanwhile, proposed a five-year suspension, which the US rejected.
Trump claimed that Iran had agreed to indefinitely halt enrichment of uranium. But the Iranian source also rejected this claim saying that Iran “will never accept” being an “exception from international law.”
