Trump Presses Iran To Stop Uranium Enrichment Before Ceasefire Expires In Islamabad

The Iran-U.S. nuclear and ceasefire talks are being shaped by a tightening deadline and competing definitions of what “progress” means, with the U.S. pressing Iran to stop uranium enrichment while Iran insists its program is for civilian use.

“United States President Donald Trump has claimed that a new nuclear deal being negotiated with Iran will be “far better” than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the US withdrew from in 2018 during his first term”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reports that United States President Donald Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran “a day before it was set to expire,” with hopes for a second round of talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera says a key U.S. demand is that Iran stop all enrichment of uranium, while Iran has “always insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian use only,” including enrichment “between 3 percent and 5 percent.”

The same explainer lays out the technical threshold for weapons, stating that “To build nuclear weapons, uranium needs to be enriched to 90 percent.”

TRT World adds that the United States has conveyed a “conditional willingness” to reduce its demand for a halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment programme from 20 years to 10 years, provided Tehran gives “strong guarantees” it will not seek to develop nuclear weapons.

Crux Investor frames the immediate stakes around the Strait of Hormuz and the ceasefire expiration, saying peace talks resume Wednesday in Islamabad with the ceasefire expiring at 8 pm Eastern Time.

In that market-focused account, Vice President JD Vance confirmed that U.S. negotiators will meet Iranian lead diplomat Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf in Islamabad on Wednesday, hours before the temporary ceasefire expires at 8 pm Eastern Time.

The negotiations hinge on uranium enrichment limits, the handling of highly enriched uranium stockpiles, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with each side presenting terms that the other rejects.

Al Jazeera explains that Iran’s civilian nuclear use would require uranium enrichment “between 3 percent and 5 percent,” while weapons require enrichment to “90 percent,” and it notes that the International Atomic Energy Agency considers anything below “20 percent” to be low-enriched uranium and anything above “20 percent” to be highly-enriched uranium.

CNN

TRT World reports that Washington’s main objective remains “the suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program for at least 20 years,” while Tehran has reportedly proposed a “five-year moratorium.”

TRT World also says Tehran has agreed in principle to Islamabad’s proposal for third-party monitoring of its nuclear program by four countries working alongside the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while Washington has shown “little interest in that mechanism.”

The Arab Weekly says officials and analysts expect the next round in Islamabad to focus increasingly on “uranium enrichment limits” and how to handle Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the route as “the world’s most critical oil shipping route.”

Crux Investor adds that Trump demands Iran surrender its highly enriched uranium stockpile to prevent nuclear weapons development, while Iran demands recognition of enrichment rights for peaceful purposes plus sanctions relief.

The Korean outlet Chosun Ilbo says Trump is demanding Iran transfer “440 kg of 60% highly enriched uranium (HEU)” to the U.S. or a third country and permanently and completely abandon its right to nuclear enrichment, while Iran insists uranium enrichment is a “sovereign right.”

As the talks approach their next round, Gulf states are portrayed as increasingly focused on the Strait of Hormuz rather than missile or proxy issues, and they fear that negotiations may entrench Iran’s leverage over energy supplies.

“Oil Drops Betting Iran Talks Will Succeed, but Enriched Uranium Talks Stall - Peace talks resume Wednesday in Islamabad with the ceasefire expiring at 8 pm Eastern Time, determining whether the Strait of Hormuz (handling roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply) reopens or remains restricted - Oil dropped approximately $0”

Crux Investor

The Arab Weekly reports that a warning by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has “crystallised fears among Gulf states” that reopening the Strait of Hormuz may be “the most Iran-U.S. talks can achieve.”

It says officials and analysts expect the negotiations in Islamabad to focus on “uranium enrichment limits” and “how to handle Iran’s leverage over the Strait,” which it calls “the world’s most critical oil shipping route.”

The article quotes a Gulf source close to government circles saying, “At the end of the day, Hormuz will be the red line,”‌ and adds, “It wasn’t an issue before. It is now. The goal posts have moved.”

The Arab Weekly also cites Medvedev’s post on X on April 8, quoting him: “It’s not clear how the truce between Washington and Tehran will play out,”‌ and “one thing is certain — Iran has tested its nuclear weapons. It is called the Strait of Hormuz. Its potential is inexhaustible.”

It further describes Iranian security officials saying the Strait is “a long-prepared instrument of deterrence,” with a senior Iranian security source saying, “Iran prepared for years for a scenario involving the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, planning every step.”

TRT World says Washington is demanding the “full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” while Iran says it will not join fresh talks unless the U.S. ends what it calls the “illegal” blockade of Iranian ports.

Crux Investor underscores the same linkage between Hormuz and escalation, stating that the U.S. maintains its blockade of Iranian ports while Iran restricts tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, “handling roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.”

CNN describes how the tone and timing of Trump’s public statements complicated the effort to close a deal, with Iranian officials rejecting claims that Tehran had already agreed to contentious terms.

CNN says that as the weekend approached, “the US and Iran appeared to be closing in on a deal to end the seven-week war,” but Trump “seemed to try negotiating via the press,” posting about ongoing talks on social media and speaking to reporters by phone Friday morning as Pakistani intermediaries updated him on talks in Tehran.

The Arab Weekly

CNN reports that Trump claimed Iran had agreed to provisions that sources familiar with the talks said “have not yet been finalized,” and CNN says Iranian officials “outwardly rejected many of those assertions and denied they were preparing for another round of talks.”

CNN quotes a person familiar with the talks saying, “The Iranians didn’t appreciate POTUS negotiating through social media and making it appear as if they had signed off on issues they hadn’t yet agreed to,” and adds that Iranians were concerned about appearing “to look weak.”

CNN also details specific claims Trump made to different outlets, including that he told Bloomberg Iran had agreed to an “unlimited” suspension of its nuclear program, that he told CBS News Tehran “agreed to everything,” and that he told Axios a meeting would “probably take place over the weekend,” adding, “I think we will get a deal in the next day or two.”

The same CNN report says the fragile ceasefire was tested on Sunday when a U.S. guided-missile destroyer fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship after it tried to get past the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

CNN then contrasts the White House response, quoting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “The United States has never been closer to a good deal with Iran,” and also quoting her: “Anyone who cannot see President Trump’s tactics to play the long game are either stupid or willfully ignorant.”

In parallel, Crux Investor says the uranium enrichment standoff remained unresolved and that the US maintains its blockade of Iranian ports while Iran restricts tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources portray the next phase of diplomacy as tightly linked to sanctions relief, frozen funds, and the possibility of renewed escalation if talks fail, with Pakistan positioned as a mediator and with energy markets bracing for disruption.

“The United States has conveyed a “conditional willingness” to reduce its demand for a halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment programme from 20 years to 10 years, provided Tehran gives strong guarantees that it will not seek to develop nuclear weapons, two Pakistani government sources said on Tuesday”

TRT World

TRT World says Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir made a “three-day visit to Iran last week,” meeting “both civilian and military leaders,” and it reports that Munir has reportedly spoken several times with U.S. President Donald Trump while Islamabad deepened its role as mediator.

TRT World

TRT World also says the next round of negotiations is expected to take place in Islamabad and that both Washington and Tehran continue to exchange proposals and messages through Islamabad in an effort to reach what one official described as a “maximum understanding” before formal talks resume.

Crux Investor adds that peace talks resume Wednesday in Islamabad with the ceasefire expiring at 8 pm Eastern Time, and it says oil dropped approximately $0.50 per barrel on Tuesday, reversing Monday’s 6% spike after the U.S. military seized an Iranian cargo ship on Sunday.

The same Crux Investor account warns that if Wednesday talks collapse and the ceasefire expires, the market faces “severe supply-side disruption,” and it states that if Iran follows through on threats to strike Gulf Arab infrastructure, “20% of the global oil supply traversing the Strait faces a direct threat.”

Chosun Ilbo reports that Trump denied releasing frozen funds, stating, “No money will be transferred,” while CNN says the Trump administration is considering unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian assets as part of ongoing negotiations with Tehran, “in exchange for Iran turning over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.”

The Arab Weekly adds that Gulf diplomats urged Washington against full sanctions relief, advocating a phased approach to test Iran’s behaviour, and it says core threats remain unaddressed, notably missiles able to hit Gulf capitals and Iran’s armed proxies used as extensions of the Iranian state.

Finally, Crux Investor says Pakistani deployment of 20,000 security personnel is meant to secure the Islamabad venue, and it notes that both sides retain the capacity to escalate if Wednesday’s talks fail.