Saturday, April 12, 2025 - Iran is reportedly considering proposing an interim nuclear agreement in ongoing negotiations with the United States, potentially paving the way for a broader, long-term deal.
This move comes amid growing tensions and a tight deadline
set by the US
According to Axios, Iranian officials believe it is
unrealistic to reach a comprehensive agreement within the two-month window set
by President Donald Trump. As a result, Tehran may push for an interim
arrangement to de-escalate tensions and allow more time for substantive talks.
The proposed interim deal would include several key concessions by Iran:
Suspending some uranium enrichment activities.
Reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium to 60%.
Granting UN inspectors expanded access to its nuclear facilities.
While these steps would only marginally delay Iran's
potential to develop a nuclear weapon, experts suggest the move could help
rebuild trust and momentum for further negotiations
There is also speculation that the interim deal could be
linked to the Snapback mechanism — a clause in the 2015 nuclear deal allowing
for the automatic reinstatement of UN sanctions if Iran fails to comply. That
mechanism is set to expire in October.
However, for the interim agreement to move forward, Trump
may need to suspend his “maximum pressure” campaign — a hardline approach aimed
at crippling the Iranian economy. Whether the US president is open to that
remains uncertain.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump expressed openness to a new
nuclear deal with Iran, signaling a potential shift from his earlier hardline
stance. This followed reports that Iran had plotted to assassinate the former
president, an accusation which the US government took seriously.
Despite his willingness to talk, Trump has continued to
apply pressure on Iran. In early February, he reinstated economic restrictions
aimed at reducing Iran’s oil exports to zero and preventing the country from
developing nuclear weapons.
On February 6, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on an
international network accused of funneling oil revenues to the Iranian
military, bypassing existing restrictions.
In March, Bloomberg reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to assist Trump in negotiations with Iran, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions.
The original Iran nuclear deal — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, UK, France, China, Russia, Germany, and the EU. The agreement required Iran to scale back its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
In 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from the deal and reimposed
sanctions, prompting Tehran to resume uranium enrichment. Under President
Biden, indirect talks were initiated to revive the agreement, but those efforts
collapsed in late 2022 when the US accused Iran of making unreasonable demands
concerning an IAEA investigation into undisclosed nuclear activities.
Since then, the deal has been considered “off the table,” with Trump’s
return to the presidency reinforcing a more aggressive approach.
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