Progress on a framework to end the war and resolve maritime blockades has slowed as the U.S. and Iran dig in over Tehran's nuclear program and the scope of financial relief. While initial discussions in Muscat appeared constructive, negotiators remain deadlocked over how and where to address the highly-enriched uranium stockpile.
Current State of Negotiations
• Nuclear Sticking Points: Disagreements center on the timeline and mechanisms for handling Iran's enriched uranium. The U.S. has pushed for substantial reductions or the removal of the material from Iranian territory, while Iran has sought to delay detailed nuclear talks in favor of securing immediate sanctions relief and security guarantees.
• Strait of Hormuz: The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital chokepoint accounting for roughly 20%) of global oil and gas flow—is deeply intertwined with the nuclear and sanctions demands.
• Next Steps: After statements over the weekend indicated an interim deal could be imminent, President Trump stated he would not rush an agreement that does not address fundamental concerns.
Mediators are pushing to bridge the gaps to de-escalate regional tensions and avoid prolonged spikes in global fuel and food costs.
“Progress toward a deal to end the war with Iran slowed Monday as the two sides dug in over references to the country's nuclear program and financial relief for Tehran, mediators said.
The slowdown followed a weekend that began with President Trump and other administration officials saying a deal was close and ended with Trump saying he wouldn't rush to conclude an agreement that wasn't right.
Tensions rose Monday as the U.S. sank two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ships attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by launching surface-to-air missiles at U.S. planes, prompting American attacks on missile launchers near Bandar Abbas, a U.S. official said.
After the initial reports of the deal surfaced, Trump came under criticism from more hawkish members of his Republican Party who worried that an agreement could open the Strait of Hormuz and ease the financial pressure on Iran's regime but leave its nuclear program intact.
Trump on Monday called for Arab countries and Iran to normalize their relations with Israel -- a push that could give him a way to cast any limited cease-fire and shipping pact as a larger regional success story instead of a climbdown.
"The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal," Trump wrote on social media.
The two sides were working toward a memorandum of understanding that would end the fighting and lift constraints on shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz over 30 days while setting the stage for talks about Iran's nuclear program in a second phase. Relief from sanctions would depend on progress, a senior U.S. administration official said.
The U.S. is seeking clearer commitments from Iran about its nuclear program up front, while Iranian negotiators are pressing for details from the U.S. about relief from sanctions, mediators said.
U.S. officials worry Iran will drag its feet on nuclear issues after securing some relief, the mediators said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday that progress had been made on many of the issues in the talks but that an agreement wasn't imminent.
The country's top negotiators -- parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi -- traveled to Qatar to try to make progress on the sticking points, state media said.
Traveling in New Delhi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday described the emerging framework as an initial bargain on the strait that could lead to a separate nuclear negotiation. There is "a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait [and] enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter," Rubio said, "and hopefully we can pull it off."
A senior administration official on Sunday detailed a three-part framework in which Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and disposes of its enriched uranium while the U.S. unwinds its blockade in Iranian ports. Then Washington and Tehran would define terms of further talks to end the war before driving toward the permanent end of Iran's nuclear program.
There is pressure on both sides to get to a deal. Trump has been eager to end a war that is unpopular at home and has raised the price of gasoline, putting pressure on consumers. Iran is eager to secure financial relief after the war and U.S. blockade added to the pressure of what was already a spiraling economic crisis.
Gulf countries also broadly support the effort, though they worry that the U.S. could disengage before security concerns raised by Iran's bombardment of the region during the war are addressed.
Mediators said Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have pressed them to include a clear clause in the memorandum of understanding that would ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has agreed to waive fees on ships passing through the strategic waterway for the duration of the talks. But Baghaei, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the country continues to assert a role managing the strait and has discussed receiving payments for it.
Israel is also concerned that the U.S. could do a deal that would ease the economic and military pressure on Tehran but tie its hands, particularly in its fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel is pressing its American contacts for a tougher deal with more commitments from Iran, a person familiar with the matter said.
Mediators said one concern is who is calling the shots in Iran, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei not seen or heard from since being appointed in March.
Iran's Baghaei pointed to the divisions in the U.S. government as well, saying that "we witness frequent changes in positions," he said, according to state media.
Trump later said he wanted Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to sign on to the Abraham Accords -- under which countries including the U.A.E. and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel during the president's first term. He said he wanted Iran to join as well once Tehran signs the peace deal now under discussion.
Egypt and Jordan already have peace treaties and diplomatic ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia was close to joining the accords before the war in Gaza but has since insisted Israel first commit to a path to a Palestinian state.” [1]
1. Iran Talks Bog Down On First Steps to A Deal --- Nuclear, sanctions issues are sticking points in potential accord to open strait. Faucon, Benoit; Said, Summer. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 26 May 2026: A1.
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