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World
US and Iran clash over enrichment freeze duration as a 30-day framework aims for a comprehensive deal.
The most intractable issue in ongoing US-Iran negotiations is the future of Iran’s nuclear program, with Washington pushing for a long-term halt to uranium enrichment under strict international oversight. The goal, according to reports cited by The Independent, is to prevent Tehran from ever developing a military nuclear capability.
The core disagreement centers on how long any freeze should last. The United States is demanding a period of up to 20 years, while Iran has proposed just five years. Compromise solutions reportedly under discussion could settle on a 12-year timeframe.
Beyond the timeline, talks are tackling highly sensitive technical matters. These include the fate of underground nuclear facilities, how to handle Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the reinstatement of an expanded international inspection regime within the country.
If a final agreement is reached, Tehran would be permitted to resume enrichment at 3.67% purity—the same level stipulated in the 2015 nuclear accord. This makes the technical details a critical test of whether political understandings can be translated into enforceable nuclear commitments.
According to US reports, the proposed memorandum of understanding outlines an initial framework to halt hostilities and launch 30 days of negotiations aimed at a comprehensive deal. US President Donald Trump has described the recent talks with Iran as “very good,” expressing a belief that an agreement is now possible.
Tehran has stated it is reviewing the American proposal and will convey its final position through Pakistani mediators. Leaks indicate the negotiations revolve around three main issues that form the core of the conflict between the two sides.
The US is seeking a long-term freeze on Iranian uranium enrichment, coupled with stringent international monitoring and guarantees to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon in the future.
Reports indicate the current dispute is centered on the duration of the enrichment halt. Washington is demanding a period of up to 20 years, while Iran proposes only five years, with talk of a compromise potentially extending to 12 years.
The talks also include discussions on the fate of underground nuclear facilities, the mechanism for handling Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and the return of international inspectors under a broad oversight system.
Should an agreement be reached, Iran would later be allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67% purity—the same percentage stipulated in the 2015 nuclear deal.
A second major file concerns the Strait of Hormuz, which has become the focal point of economic and military confrontation between the two sides during the conflict.
The proposed understandings include a gradual lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. In exchange, Tehran would end the restrictions it imposed on navigation in the strait. This would allow the return of commercial shipping and oil tankers through the waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
