Iran talks at an impasse amid rhetorical exchanges, analyst says

Developments surrounding Iran appear effectively “stagnant” at present despite ongoing rhetorical exchanges between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran expert Vardan Voskanyan.

Writing on social media on Thursday, Voskanyan noted that while both sides continue to issue statements at the political level, there have been no tangible breakthroughs in negotiations.

Recent information leaks have shed light on previously undisclosed details from U.S.-Iran talks held in Islamabad, revealing that a central point of contention remains the timeline of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. According to Voskanyan, Iran had indicated willingness to suspend uranium enrichment for a period of five years, whereas the United States proposed a significantly longer duration of 20 years.

Further disagreements persist over Iran’s existing stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%. Tehran has refused to transfer this material to a third party, though it has expressed openness to reducing its enrichment level, a compromise that Washington has reportedly deemed insufficient.

Voskanyan added that the United States may also have floated the idea of joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal firmly rejected by Iran, which maintains that the strategic waterway falls within its sphere of national interest.