New diplomatic efforts between the United States and Israel to end the war against Iran are facing headwinds as Tehran’s nuclear program, which the two countries activated to start the war in February, has re-emerged as one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a cease-fire agreement.
Almost eight months after the war that sparked a global energy crisis began, an agreement to ensure a permanent ceasefire remains elusive. Moreover, the war has since spilled over into regional conflicts, with Yemen emerging as the latest stage.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil chokepoint, was the focus of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the United States and Iran in June.
The memorandum also specified that Iran would not procure or develop nuclear weapons, but a comprehensive agreement covering the nuclear issue could not be concluded within the stipulated 60 days. Analysts said different interpretations of the terms of the agreement led to the memorandum falling apart.
Now, the nuclear issue is once again at the center of contention, with the Iranian government insisting that uranium enrichment is a right guaranteed by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has advocated “zero enrichment of uranium.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of ally Israel on Sunday reiterated his commitment to overthrowing the Iranian government, saying it was the key to stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Earlier this week, US Vice President J.D. Vance appeared to offer concessions on nuclear principles in the hopes of reaching a deal.
Qatar and Pakistan are making mediation efforts, but how will they reach an agreement on the nuclear enrichment issue?
What does Iran say?
Pakistan Army General Asim Munir, who is also the main negotiator in the conflict, is currently in Tehran and held talks with Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei on Tuesday.
“Even particles of enriched uranium will not leave Iran at all,” Rezaei said during the meeting, according to comments carried by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, adding that enriched uranium is an important national asset that will remain in the country for domestic use.
His reaction came amid media reports that the United States wants Iran to transfer some of its enriched uranium out of the country. President Trump has previously called for Iran to remove its enriched uranium stockpile.
Rezaei also said negotiations with the United States would not begin until the United States implements confidence-building measures, including meeting the latest conditions offered by Iran.
Iran wants the United States to lift a naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets as part of the latest terms to end the war. In return, Iran promised to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Another Iranian lawmaker, Alaeddin Boljerdi, who is also a member of Iran’s parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, reiterated that Iran does not seek to build nuclear weapons.
“Iran’s enrichment activities have nothing to do with the United States, and the United States should focus on meeting its obligations to reduce its nuclear arsenal,” he said.
Where does the United States stand?
Speaking at a Republican campaign rally earlier this week, President Trump claimed that US bombing had destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities and that he would not allow Iran to rebuild them.
“They can’t have nuclear weapons,” President Trump told supporters at a rally at Northern Kentucky University.
Vice President Vance said earlier this week that the United States had “in some ways decisively won” the war against Iran and destroyed the country’s nuclear program.
He told a town hall hosted by CBS News that the United States is now focused on ensuring Iran has a “long-term” and “verifiable commitment” not to rebuild its nuclear program.
“Five years from now, not since the Donald Trump administration, will Iran be able to rebuild its nuclear arsenal? Will it try to rebuild its enrichment capabilities?” he asked.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said this week that the decision to end the war ultimately rests with President Trump. “The United States will not support any deal that creates a pathway for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. As long as President Trump remains in office, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he reiterated.
Vance told Reuters in an interview last month that Iran must “meaningfully” reduce its nuclear enrichment capabilities to meet U.S. demands and end the war.
“If you don’t want nuclear weapons, why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to demonstrate a commitment not to build nuclear weapons, don’t build highly enriched fuel. It’s a very basic threshold question,” Vance said.
“If they want to demonstrate their commitment not to build nuclear weapons, I think they will do something meaningful with enrichment capabilities,” he added.
What does the memorandum say about Iran’s uranium program?
A memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 left the future of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile open to further negotiations, but specified down-blending under international supervision from the International Atomic Energy Agency as the minimum approach to resolving the issue.
Downblending involves a mixture of highly enriched and low enriched uranium, making it less suitable for rapid conversion to weapons-grade material.
The memorandum left room for Iran to reduce enrichment domestically rather than handing over resources. However, the amount to be downblended, target concentration level, and detailed implementation schedule are not specified.
“The two countries also agreed to discuss enrichment issues and other mutually agreed matters related to the nuclear needs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on a satisfactory framework agreed in the final agreement,” the terms of the memorandum read.
Of course, the memorandum of understanding expired in mid-August, so no final agreement could be reached.
The Trump administration has raised the imminent threat that Iran will acquire nuclear weapons and start a war on February 28, 2026. On the first day of the war, a U.S. and Israeli airstrike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who had banned the development of nuclear weapons in a fatwa (religious edict).
President Trump has claimed that Iran would use nuclear weapons “as soon as they got them” and that “the Middle East would be wiped out, Israel would be wiped out, and then they would probably attack Europe.”
US presidents have repeatedly opposed Iran’s nuclear program in the past.
As the war progressed over several months, U.S. focus gradually shifted to reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a fundamental condition for the ongoing fighting.
Speaking in Alaska last week, Trump again falsely claimed that he had to go to war against Iran because “(Iran) is going to have nuclear weapons in two weeks.”
President Trump warned in April that “enriched material, also known as ‘nuclear dust,’ will be excavated and destroyed by the United States.” Later that month, he told reporters aboard Air Force One that the United States would “work with Iran, and together we will take back Iran and bring it back. 100 percent of Iran will be brought back to the United States.”
Mostafa Najafi, a foreign policy analyst based in Iran, said, “Despite (the US) insisting on nuclear negotiations and obtaining concrete concessions in this area, (Washington) is reluctant to make major concessions such as lifting sanctions.”
The US “wants to secure major concessions only in exchange for lifting the blockade and releasing some of Iran’s assets,” he wrote in a post to X. “From Iran’s perspective, lifting the blockade and releasing assets is no longer a noteworthy concession for Tehran!”
