Iranian source says return to US memorandum is possible
A senior Iranian official says Tehran could return to a memorandum of understanding with Washington, a shift in tone from weeks of hard-line statements.
Published
A senior Iranian source says a return to a memorandum of understanding with the United States is possible, a notable change in tone after weeks in which Tehran ruled out any nuclear concessions.
An Iranian official had told Reuters that Iran would hold no nuclear talks with Washington and would make no concessions on its nuclear programme, and that the Strait of Hormuz would stay shut until Iran's conditions were met. A US official said separately that Washington was in a strong position and controlled the strait, and felt no urgency to reach an agreement. Centcom has said it redirected 122 vessels enforcing the Iran blockade.
The latest comment comes as talks between the two sides in New York move into what sources in Tehran describe as a more detailed and increasingly positive technical phase, according to Al Jazeera's bureau chief there. Qatari experts have joined the talks, and Iran's delegation received US visas after an initial denial. Iranian President Pezeshkian has said the delegation's discussions with Kushner and Whittaker focused on Iran's rights under international law and sought nothing beyond that.
The shift suggests movement away from the confrontational posture of prior weeks, when Iran ruled out nuclear concessions and kept the strait closed pending its conditions. Combined with the technical-phase talks and the more positive atmosphere described from Tehran, it points toward the possibility of a deal that could ease sanctions and lower regional tensions, though whether it is reached remains uncertain, leaving the risk that expectations run ahead of any agreement.