US prepared to suspend Iran oil sanctions during peace talks, Tasnim reports

The United States is prepared to temporarily suspend sanctions on Iranian oil exports during ongoing peace negotiations, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported, citing a source close to the negotiating team.

According to the report, Tehran is demanding binding guarantees from Washington that all sanctions will ultimately be lifted, while the US side has proposed removing sanctions only after a final agreement is signed.

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the United States had shown flexibility on allowing Iran to continue limited peaceful nuclear activities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The same source, cited by The Times of Israel, said Tehran’s latest proposal focuses on ending the war, restoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and lifting shipping-related sanctions.

The source added that the most contentious issues — Iran’s nuclear programme and uranium enrichment — had been postponed to later rounds of negotiations.

Al Arabiya television also reported, citing leaked information, that Tehran was revising its proposals in the negotiations with Washington.

According to the report, Iran dropped its earlier demand for compensation over damages caused by military activities and instead requested “economic incentives” along with multiple international guarantees.

Iran also reportedly wants to separate the maritime routes issue from the nuclear file and insists that enriched uranium be transferred to Russia rather than the United States.

The Kremlin had previously said that President Vladimir Putin proposed transferring Iranian uranium to Russia before military conflict erupted between Washington and Tehran. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the proposal as “a fairly good solution”.

Peskov said Iran had accepted Russia’s proposal but that the United States rejected it. He also said Putin could return to the initiative again “if necessary for the country”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on May 15 that Tehran was prepared to discuss the option with Moscow, although he indicated it would be addressed at a later stage.

At the same time, Tasnim’s source close to the negotiating team said major disagreements between the Iranian and US peace proposals remained unresolved.

“Although some changes have been made in the new American text, the core disagreements stemming from the Americans’ greed and unrealistic approach remain,” the source said.

The source also said Iran would not retreat from its core positions regarding an end to the war and the return of frozen assets. According to the source, those assets must be returned “not on paper, but transparently and definitively”.

Describing Washington’s nuclear demands as “political pretexts”, the source called linking an end to the war with the nuclear issue “illogical” and said Iran would not accept such a framework.

Reuters had earlier reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Iran conveyed its latest proposal to the United States through a Pakistani mediator.

The Pakistani source did not disclose details of the proposal. Asked whether resolving the disputes between the parties would take time, the source replied that the sides were “constantly changing their objectives” and added: “We do not have much time.”

Iran’s Fars news agency also reported on May 17 that the United States had presented five conditions that Tehran must meet before negotiations could proceed.

According to the report, the conditions were:

No compensation or damages to be paid by the United States;

The transfer and handover of 400 kilograms of Iranian uranium to the United States;

The continued operation of only one of Iran’s nuclear facilities;

No release of even 25% of Iranian assets;

The linkage of negotiations and their progress to the cessation of hostilities on all fronts.

Tehran had previously outlined its own demands. Iran’s conditions included:

An end to hostilities on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon;

The removal of anti-Iran sanctions;

The unfreezing of Iranian assets;

Compensation for damages caused by military activities;

Recognition of Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on May 17: “Time is running out for Iran, and they better hurry, otherwise there won’t be anything left. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

Trump had earlier warned that Iran would face “difficult times” if Tehran refused to accept a peace agreement with Washington.