WASHINGTON (AP) — Uncertainty swirled Friday around what the U.S. called a tentative deal to extend the ceasefire in its war with Iran. It wasn’t clear whether U.S. President Donald Trump supports it, and a top Iranian official said his country wins concessions “through missiles,” not talks.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday the adversaries had reached a tentative agreement. But he said they continued to debate “a couple of language points” and he couldn’t say whether Trump would approve the proposal.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Friday on X that his country has “no trust in guarantees or words,” only actions, and “no step will be taken before the other side acts.”
“We do not gain concessions through talks, but through missiles. In negotiations, we only make them understand that,” wrote Qalibaf, who was involved in negotiations in Qatar this week. He added: “The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war the day after it is signed.”
According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, the tentative agreement would continue the ceasefire in the 3-month-old war by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
Among the first issues to be negotiated during the 60-day ceasefire would be what will happen to Iran’s highly enriched uranium, said the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Islamic Republic has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Vance said Thursday evening that the sides were going back and forth on “a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff, the highly enriched stockpile, and also the question of enrichment.” The vice president suggested negotiators were trying to strike general terms on the uranium issue in the tentative agreement, with the specifics to be hammered out in the ensuing talks.
Though Trump and his team said from the start of the conflict that one of their prime objectives was to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, Vance framed the war’s accomplishments as something far less definitive.
“We’re in a position where we could substantially set back their nuclear program, not just during the term of this president but over the long term,” Vance said. “That’s a very very good thing for the American people.”
Iran, which has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful, has not publicly committed to giving up the stockpile. It is believed to be buried under a trio of nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. airstrikes last year.









