US-Iran talks move to Hormuz leverage and nuclear limits as deal hopes build

Iran's foreign minister has given the clearest indication yet that Tehran wants to preserve leverage over the Strait of Hormuz as negotiations with Washington continue. Abbas Araghchi said Iran would keep a presence over the waterway and suggested a negotiated framework could allow the collection of a "service fee" for vessels using it. He also said Iranian forces would intervene when necessary, while acknowledging that international law does not permit a toll on ships passing through the strait.

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The remarks come as the two sides appear to be edging closer to an agreement, but remain divided over the scope of any deal. Iranian state media has said nuclear armament is excluded from the talks, while the United States has said its main objective is to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons. A White House official quoted in the reporting said Washington could accept a civilian nuclear energy programme in Iran, indicating that the dispute is now focused on the limits of enrichment and the structure of any monitoring arrangement.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive shipping routes, and any change to how it is governed would have implications for global energy flows. Even the suggestion of a negotiated fee or security framework matters because the waterway is a major chokepoint for oil shipments and a longstanding point of tension between Iran and Western powers. The latest comments also show that maritime access and nuclear restrictions are being discussed together, rather than as separate issues.

Araghchi said the talks were moving toward an initial agreement that would formally end the ongoing conflict and reduce regional tensions. The reporting also says one of the central elements under discussion is Iran's stockpile of highly enriched material, although the details of that part of the proposal were not fully set out. That places the negotiations at the intersection of sanctions relief, nuclear oversight and maritime security, all of which have been central to previous rounds of diplomacy.

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The wider significance is that any deal involving Hormuz would affect not only Iran and the United States but also shipping companies, energy markets and states dependent on Gulf oil exports. The strait has long been a strategic pressure point for Tehran, and the current talks suggest Iran is trying to convert that leverage into a formal arrangement rather than rely only on threat. At the same time, Washington's insistence on nuclear limits shows that the core security dispute remains unresolved.

What remains unclear is whether the "service fee" idea is a serious negotiating proposal, a political signal, or a position meant to strengthen Iran's hand in the talks. It is also not clear how far the two sides are from a final text, or whether any agreement would cover only maritime security, nuclear restrictions, or both. The next developments to watch are whether Washington responds publicly to the Hormuz proposal and whether the reported differences over nuclear capabilities can be narrowed.

Iranian media have reported a draft framework between Tehran and Washington that could release about $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, restart nuclear negotiations and keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The reported proposal comes after months of confrontation and would amount to a significant de-escalation if it were agreed. Reuters, however, said Iranian officials have cautioned that no final deal has been reached.

According to the reports, the draft includes phased unfreezing of Iranian funds held abroad as part of a wider sanctions-relief mechanism. It also envisages 60 days of negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme after any memorandum of understanding is signed. The talks would reportedly cover sanctions relief, uranium enrichment and longer-term monitoring arrangements, while maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would continue under a broader de-escalation arrangement.

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The reported framework matters because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil supplies. Any arrangement affecting passage there has implications well beyond the bilateral dispute between Iran and the United States. The issue of frozen assets is also central to Tehran's long-running demands in negotiations, making the reported draft significant both economically and diplomatically.

The latest reports come amid renewed efforts to reduce tensions in the Gulf, where sanctions, maritime security and Iran's nuclear activities have remained at the centre of the dispute. US President Donald Trump has said negotiations with Iran are making progress and suggested an agreement could be finalised in the coming days. Iranian officials have been more cautious, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei describing reports of an imminent deal as premature and saying key issues remain unresolved.

The reported proposal also fits into a wider pattern of stop-start diplomacy over Iran's nuclear programme. The current talks are being framed around sanctions relief and monitoring arrangements, but the public statements from both sides show that the main points of contention have not yet been settled. That leaves the process vulnerable to conflicting claims about how far the two sides have actually moved toward a deal.

What remains unclear is whether the reported draft reflects an agreed text, a negotiating position or an early framework still subject to change. It is also not clear how the proposed asset release would be structured, or whether the 60-day talks period would begin immediately after signing. The next developments to watch are whether Washington and Tehran confirm any common language and whether the reported Hormuz and sanctions provisions survive further negotiations.

United States President Donald Trump has rejected reported Iran ceasefire terms published by Iranian state media, calling them "fake news" and saying they had "NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing". His comments came as efforts continued to secure a more lasting end to the war between the US, Israel and Iran, with both sides offering sharply different accounts of how far a deal has progressed. The dispute has added fresh uncertainty to a process that had appeared to be moving forward only a day earlier.

Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social on Friday after the Iranian state news agency published what it said were seven main points of a possible agreement. He said the people behind the report were "very dishonorable" and accused them of not dealing in good faith. The post did not identify which report he was referring to, but it followed the publication of the alleged deal points by Iranian state media.

Trump had said on Thursday that a deal had been "approved" and that an official signing could happen within days. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that an "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding" towards a ceasefire had "never been closer". He urged media outlets not to speculate about the terms until they were finalised.

The Iranian report said no new agreements had been reached on the country's nuclear programme, and that new nuclear negotiations would begin 60 days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the US. It also said Iran had not agreed to relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz, and that the preliminary agreement related only to normalisation of passage in the waterway and maritime security. The reported terms matter because they touch on some of the most sensitive issues in the conflict, including Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions, maritime security and the wider regional war.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route, so any arrangement affecting passage there has implications beyond the immediate fighting. The report also said the US had committed to ending Israel's ongoing invasion and offensive in Lebanon, underlining how the talks are linked to a broader regional confrontation rather than a single bilateral dispute. The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of a war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, with a pause in fighting reached in early April.

Since then, the search for a more durable ceasefire has remained fragile, with key questions left unresolved. The reported Iranian points suggested only limited movement on core issues, including the release of some frozen Iranian assets on signing, with further release, sanctions relief and war damage compensation left for later negotiation. That has left the process vulnerable to competing public claims from Washington and Tehran.

What remains unclear is whether the published Iranian terms reflect any agreed draft, a negotiating position, or a misreading of the talks. It is also not clear which specific report Trump was responding to, or how far the two sides are from a final text. The next key test will be whether the parties can reconcile their public statements and move toward a signed memorandum.

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