US and Iranian negotiators in New York discussed a phased approach to ending the nearly seven-month war between the two countries, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in exchange for Washington lifting its economic blockade on Tehran, sources told Reuters.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that an interim agreement could offer the most realistic path towards ending the war, with an initial step involving the lifting of the U.S. blockade and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by possible Iranian access to frozen financial assets.
The sources said the talks faced a major hurdle as both sides sought to retain their leverage and neither was willing to make the first concessions. Questions also remain over how to ensure that any future concessions are durable and enforceable, particularly after an earlier understanding between the two sides collapsed in July.
US and Iranian negotiators in New York discussed a phased approach to ending the nearly seven-month war between the two countries, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in exchange for Washington lifting its economic blockade on Tehran, sources told Reuters.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that an interim agreement could offer the most realistic path towards ending the war, with an initial step involving the lifting of the U.S. blockade and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by possible Iranian access to frozen financial assets.
The sources said the talks faced a major hurdle as both sides sought to retain their leverage and neither was willing to make the first concessions. Questions also remain over how to ensure that any future concessions are durable and enforceable, particularly after an earlier understanding between the two sides collapsed in July.
