US-Iran talks stall over Strait of Hormuz reopening and nuclear terms

The outline of a potential US-Iran agreement is beginning to emerge, but key questions remain unresolved, including how the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and what would happen to Iran's nuclear programme. The dispute centres on one of the world's most important shipping routes, through which roughly a fifth of global oil trade passes. Reporting on Monday said the talks were close to a framework, but not yet to a final deal.

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US President Donald Trump has said an agreement was "largely negotiated" and later described the talks as "proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner". Iranian reporting, however, has indicated that major clauses are still unsettled. Tasnim News Agency said the waterway would not return to its "pre-war situation", while Fars News Agency reported that any deal would preserve Iran's management role in the strait.

Trump also said on Saturday that "the Strait of Hormuz will be opened" as part of any agreement. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively under Iranian control since the war began in late February, with only a trickle of vessels allowed through, according to the reporting. That has contributed to a worldwide energy crisis and made the reopening of the passage a central issue in the negotiations.

The reporting also said Iran launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority last week, underlining its intention to keep a formal role in managing the waterway. Tasnim further reported that any US naval blockade on Iranian ports would need to be lifted within 30 days. The talks matter because the strait is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies and any change in access could affect shipping, insurance and oil prices well beyond the region.

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Even if a reopening were announced, commercial operators may still be reluctant to send tankers through the passage unless they believe any ceasefire or agreement will hold. The reporting said international bodies expect shipping to resume only gradually, rather than immediately returning to normal. The nuclear issue remains another major obstacle.

The supplied reporting says the future of Iran's nuclear programme is still part of the unresolved package, alongside the maritime terms. That means any agreement would need to address both security on the waterway and wider concerns about Iran's strategic capabilities. The combination of energy security and nuclear diplomacy gives the talks significance far beyond the immediate region.

What remains unclear is whether the current outline can be turned into a durable agreement and, if so, how quickly the strait could reopen in practice. The reporting also leaves open how any management role for Iran would be defined, and whether the lifting of any blockade would be tied to specific deadlines. The next developments to watch are whether both sides confirm a framework, whether the nuclear clauses are settled, and whether commercial shipping begins to move again through the passage.

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