US President Donald Trump is willing to offer Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for concrete steps on its nuclear programme, US officials said Monday, as mediators seek to revive indirect talks between the two sides.
According to Axios, the offer comes as Qatari and Pakistani mediators work to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran, which remain divided over the scope and sequencing of any agreement.
A US official described the latest indirect discussions as “positive and constructive” and said Iran had indicated flexibility on nuclear issues. However, the official stressed that no agreement would be reached unless the nuclear questions were addressed.
Nuclear commitments remain central
The Trump administration is seeking concrete Iranian commitments on the nuclear programme, while Tehran has focused its recent proposals on the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade.
The differences include not only the substance of the commitments but also the timing of their implementation and which side would take the first steps, according to the US official.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal on Saturday, although US officials said indirect discussions through mediators were continuing.
Iran had proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations within a week if Washington lifted its naval blockade, eased oil sanctions and reinstated a regional ceasefire, according to reports on the talks.
Mediators seek a breakthrough
Qatari mediators were due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on Monday to discuss a Qatari proposal under negotiation in recent days.
They were also expected to hold discussions with Trump administration officials later Monday or Tuesday as part of efforts to narrow the remaining differences.
The latest diplomatic push follows several rounds of indirect US-Iran talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Washington seeks assurances from Tehran
A US official said Washington remained sceptical about Iranian commitments and wanted assurances that Tehran would follow through on any agreement.
“The US needs assurances this time that Iran is serious,” the official said, arguing that Washington did not want an agreement that merely eased pressure on Tehran without resolving the nuclear dispute.
The official also said the US position was strengthening as the blockade and sanctions continued to put economic pressure on Iran.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have said the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US blockade are central to any arrangement. Tehran has also maintained that maritime security cannot be restored through military action, threats or economic coercion.
Economic relief tied to nuclear steps
The prospect of sanctions relief and access to frozen funds is not entirely new in the US-Iran negotiations.
A US-Iran memorandum discussed earlier this year included mechanisms for sanctions waivers, Iranian oil sales and access to frozen funds, while linking broader economic benefits to implementation of nuclear commitments.
The latest proposal would similarly tie economic relief to concrete Iranian action on the nuclear issue, according to US officials.
For now, the two sides remain divided over what commitments would be required and the order in which economic and nuclear measures would be implemented.
