WASHINGTON: The United States has proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program as part of efforts to end the ongoing war, according to media reports on Monday, after talks between Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement.
US President Donald Trump launched the war on February 28, citing concerns that Iran was developing an atomic bomb — an allegation Tehran denies — and has vowed to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Negotiations held in Islamabad over the weekend ended without a breakthrough. US Vice President JD Vance left the talks empty-handed, with key disagreements over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
According to reports, Washington is seeking a 20-year halt to uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran, however, has proposed a shorter, five-year suspension of its nuclear activities, as reported by major international media outlets.
The proposals mark a shift from earlier US demands for Iran to permanently abandon its nuclear ambitions. In 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from a nuclear agreement that had lifted sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program.
Vance stated that the US position remains firm, emphasizing the need for mechanisms to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. “The ball is in the Iranian court,” he said, highlighting that Washington has no flexibility on key issues.
Iran has consistently rejected limitations on its right to enrich uranium, maintaining that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the removal of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains a central demand for Washington.
Russia has also indicated willingness to store Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a potential agreement, though the proposal has yet to be acted upon, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
