STICKING POINTS
US and Iran discussing proposals to end war but much is unresolved
People walk past a billboard with a graphic design about Iran's closure of the strait of Hormuz on May 4 in Tehran, Iran.
An oil tanker is docked May 6 at the port of Fujairah, united Arab Emirates, as the U.S.Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the strait of Hormuz.
With the standoff over the frozen Iran war threatening a global economic meltdown, Washington and Tehran scaled back their efforts to agree on a comprehensive peace deal and now seek a limited pact putting off the harder issues.
Sources in both camps said the efforts are aimed at a temporary memorandum of understanding to halt the war and allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while they discuss a more full deal.
The proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement.
Gaps remain, sources said. A wider deal would have to address intractable disputes such as Iran's nuclear program. The last deal over the nuclear program — struck in 2015 and torn up by Trump in 2018 — took years of negotiations between large teams of technical experts.
This is what we know about current proposals:
What are the issues?
Ending the war: U.S. President Donald Trump says the war is near an end and can be resolved by Iran accepting terms. Iran does not trust him nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iranian officials point to their decision to attack in February despite a ceasefire that ended a previous U.S.-Israeli air campaign last year. Both conflicts were launched unannounced during efforts to resolve issues diplomatically. Tehran also cites Israeli attacks during ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and wants some form of external guarantee of a truce.
Strait and blockade: Tehran sees its control of Hormuz and Washington views its blockade of Iranian ports as their chief points of leverage. Iran's economy faces catastrophe, and its inability to export oil may mean a storage crunch and output cuts. Its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, is causing a worldwide energy crisis months before U.S. midterm elections. Iran wants formal recognition of its control over Hormuz, though this would be opposed internationally.
Nuclear: The United States believes Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb; Iran denies this, saying its atomic program is for peaceful purposes only. The focus is on its enrichment of uranium, which generates fuel for nuclear power but also can make material for a warhead. Washington wants Iran to give up its right to enrichment for 20 years and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran wants its right to enrichment to be recognized. An agreement may be possible including a yearslong moratorium on enrichment and the export of its highly enriched uranium, but that still looks far off.
Ballistic missiles: The U.S. demanded Iran to limit the range of its ballistic missiles so they could not reach Israel. It says its war succeeded in degrading Iran's missile stocks, and it is not clear whether it would continue to insist on range limits in a bigger peace deal. Iran always refused to discuss its ballistic missiles, saying its right to conventional weapons cannot be on the table and that it still has a large arsenal.
Sanctions and assets: Sanctions hurt Iran's economy for years, contributing to nationwide unrest in January. Tehran badly needs them to be lifted and frozen assets to be released. It also wants reparations for war damage, though there seems no chance now of the U.S. agreeing to this, and it is not clear if Tehran would stick to that demand.
Militants: Iran previously said Israel's war against its ally the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon must be included in a peace deal. Israel rejects this, and it is not clear how far Iran would insist on it.
What do other nations think?
Israel is not directly involved in the peace effort.Netanyahu was eager to continue the war and also would be loath to subject Israel's campaign against Hezbollah to a deal between Washington and Tehran.
Gulf states are not united on how to end the conflict. They were targeted by Iran throughout the war and would oppose a deal that left Iran able to keep hitting them or impose controls on the strait, their main trade route. They may fear that Washington will not prioritize their needs and concerns in talks.
European states have their own sanctions on Iran and would want to be involved in a deal aimed at resolving the nuclear dispute. France, Germany and Britain were closely involved in the 2015 deal. European countries offered to take a role in securing free passage in Hormuz after the war.
China is a major buyer of oil that transits the strait. Iran may hope it would agree to be a guarantor in a deal, but it gave no indication it would want such a role.
Iran also may want Russia to play a role in any eventual agreement over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though it is not clear if Washington would accept that.
