Iran to propose ‘interim nuclear deal’ in talks with US: Report

US President Donald Trump has issued a two-month deadline for Iran to agree to a deal or face bombardment

News Desk

APR 11, 2025

https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-to-propose-interim-nuclear-deal-in-talks-with-us-report

Iran is looking to propose an “interim nuclear agreement” in upcoming talks with the US in Oman before reaching a final comprehensive deal on its atomic energy program, according to sources cited by Axios on 11 April. 

“The Iranians think reaching a complex and highly technical nuclear deal in two months is unrealistic and they want to get more time on the clock to avoid an escalation,” the sources said. 

Axios had reported last month that US President Donald Trump’s letter to the Iranian leadership – which gave the ultimatum of either talks or a bombing campaign against Iran – included the imposition of a two-month deadline. 

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, told the outlet on Friday that the “Iranians seem to believe that a sustainable deal is unlikely to be achieved in the timeframe that President Trump has in mind,” adding that “It might therefore be necessary to consider an interim agreement as a way station toward a final deal.”

Experts cited in the report said an “interim” deal could “help build trust for negotiations on a comprehensive deal.”

However, such a deal could include the extension of the “snap-back” mechanism, which was a part of the 2015 nuclear agreement that Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018, during his first presidential term. The mechanism allows for the immediate reimposition of sanctions on Iran by the UN Security Council if Tehran violates the deal. 

France and Germany have signaled that they would trigger the snapback mechanism if a nuclear deal is not reached by June, according to European diplomatic sources cited by Reuters, who also said the EU has been sidelined in the upcoming talks, stressing that Europe must be consulted on such matters. 

Iran may also demand an end to Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy of harsh economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic – which Washington continues to escalate. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has departed for the Omani capital, Muscat, and talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to kick off on 12 April. 

“In earnest and with candid vigilance we are giving diplomacy a genuine chance. The US should value this decision formed despite their prevailing confrontational hoopla. We do not prejudge … We do not predict … We intend to assess the other side’s intent and resolve this Saturday. We shall reflect and respond accordingly,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei on Friday. 

Tehran has said the talks will be indirect, despite Trump claiming that the two countries will be holding face-to-face negotiations. 

The US president has repeated the threat of bombing several times since sending his letter in early March. 

"When you start talks, you know pretty quickly whether they're going well or not. So, the conclusion would be – when I feel they're not going well. But if it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will obviously be very involved in that – maybe even lead it. But nobody leads us. We do what we want to do,” President Trump said. 

Israel reportedly did not know of the negotiations until Trump announced them during meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days ago. Tel Aviv plans to coordinate with the US on any potential attack on the Islamic Republic. 

Netanyahu has demanded that any nuclear deal with Iran include the complete destruction of all of Iran's nuclear facilities and equipment, implemented and supervised solely by the US.

In a video released before departing Washington on 8 April, Netanyahu warned that a military strike should be considered if such terms are not met and Iran delays negotiations. “Everyone understands that. I discussed this at length with President Trump,” he said.

Tehran insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, in line with a religious fatwa against weapons of mass destruction, as well as the fact that it is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

US intelligence estimates have confirmed this more than once. Despite this, Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Iran of planning to build a nuclear weapon, citing its increased levels of uranium enrichment.