Source: Officials: US and Iran Scale Back Ambitions for Comprehensive Peace Deal, Shift to Seeking Interim Agreement

April 16 (Reuters) — U.S. and Iranian negotiators have scaled back ambitions for a comprehensive peace deal, now targeting a temporary memorandum to prevent a slide into conflict, two Iranian sources told Reuters. A fruitless round of talks in Islamabad over the weekend left deep divisions unresolved on nuclear issues—including the destination of enriched uranium stocks and the timeline for halting nuclear work—hampering progress, the sources said. A senior Iranian official noted the two sides have narrowed differences on issues like Strait of Hormuz management. Iran is pushing for the memorandum to include U.S. unfreezing of some funds in exchange for allowing more ships to transit the strait. A source briefed on Tehran’s position said Iran’s proposal calls for free, threat-free transit through the Oman side of the strait for ships if a lasting agreement is reached. However, sharp divisions persist—including the fate of highly enriched uranium stocks and the timeline for halting nuclear work. Iranian sources added that a ceasefire memorandum, if reached, would give both sides 60 days to negotiate a final deal, which would require expert input and involvement from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), per Jinse.