By Washington and Tehran appear to be nearing a preliminary agreement that would halt months of fighting and open the door to broader negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and regional security, according to reports citing U.S. officials and foreign mediators. Reuters reported Wednesday that a Pakistani source involved in the talks said the two sides are “getting close,” confirming earlier Axios reporting on a proposed one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding.
The framework would not settle the core disputes between the United States and Iran. Instead, it would declare an immediate end to hostilities and create a 30-day negotiating period aimed at reaching a fuller agreement on uranium enrichment, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, U.S. sanctions, and access through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We will close this very soon. We are getting close,” the Pakistani source told The Jerusalem Post.
Pakistan has played a central role as a mediator, with its foreign minister emphasizing the need for a “permanent end” to the conflict. Potential venues for additional talks include Islamabad and Geneva.
Under the reported framework, the United States would ease some sanctions while Iran would accept limits on uranium enrichment. Earlier discussions included a possible long-term moratorium on enrichment and arrangements for Iran to transfer or otherwise dispose of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, a central concern for Western governments seeking to prevent Tehran from moving closer to a nuclear weapon.
Iran has claimed that they are reviewing the deal, per Reuters.
The Strait of Hormuz also remains a major piece of the talks. The waterway, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, has been at the center of escalating tensions, including Iranian restrictions on shipping and U.S.-led efforts to restore maritime access. The proposed agreement would reportedly include steps by both sides to lift competing restrictions on transit through the strait.
Iran has not formally accepted the proposal. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that Tehran was reviewing the offer, while Iranian reaction elsewhere was more skeptical. A semi-official news agency described parts of the proposal as containing “unacceptable clauses,” and one lawmaker dismissed it as “more of a wishlist than a reality.”
U.S. officials have also cautioned that the proposed memorandum would be only an opening framework, not a final settlement. Negotiations have included both direct and indirect channels, with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for peace missions, leading the American side.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in contact with senior government officials about the talks, according to The Jerusalem Post. Israeli sources said they were not surprised by the reports but were continuing to monitor the negotiations closely.
The conflict began Feb. 28 and has included U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, Iranian retaliation, and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz that have contributed to volatility in global energy markets.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the negotiations Tuesday as “highly complex and technical.”
“We have to have a diplomatic solution that is very clear on the topics they are willing to negotiate on and the extent of the concessions they are willing to make at the front end in order to make it worthwhile,” Rubio said, while characterizing some Iranian leaders as “insane.”
No final agreement has been reached, and Iran has not delivered a formal response to the latest offer through Pakistani mediators. Axios reported that U.S. officials expect a response within 48 hours.
The possible breakthrough follows earlier rounds of diplomacy, including high-level meetings in Pakistan involving Vice President JD Vance, Kushner, and Witkoff in April. But even if the short-term memorandum is approved, the central questions remain unresolved: whether Iran will accept meaningful limits on its nuclear program, what happens to its enriched uranium stockpile, and how far Washington is willing to go on sanctions relief.
For now, the talks mark the closest the two adversaries have come to deescalation since the fighting intensified. Whether that progress produces a durable agreement will depend on Iran’s response, the terms of implementation, and the much harder negotiations that would follow.
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