USA Uranium dispute: Vance sees the ball in Tehran's court
After the inconclusive first round of direct negotiations between the USA and Iran since the start of the war, US Vice President JD Vance nevertheless speaks of real progress.
14.04.2026, 05:10
SDA
However, he believes the ball is in Iran's court to give in on the nuclear program. According to media reports, the demands of the two sides are far apart.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is toughening his stance against the leadership in Tehran and refusing passage to ships in the Strait of Hormuz if they have Iranian ports as their destination or starting point. It remains to be seen whether a further round of negotiations will take place. According to unconfirmed reports, a second meeting is on the cards for this Thursday.
Vance names two sticking points from the negotiations
Despite existing differences, many things went in the right direction during the negotiations in Pakistan at the weekend, Vance told Fox News. "We have made great progress." However, the ball is now in Tehran's court to make concessions on the most important point from the US perspective - the nuclear program.
According to Vance, the USA is primarily concerned with two things: getting the highly enriched uranium out of the country and preventing Tehran from enriching uranium again. The Iranians have approached the USA on these two points. "But they have not moved far enough," said Vance. When asked if and when further negotiations would take place, he left the question open.
Peseshkian accuses US side of lacking political will
The USA and Iran had held direct talks in Islamabad at the weekend, mediated by Pakistan, which ended without any tangible results. Among other things, the Iranian side had spoken of "excessive demands" by the USA.
Iranian President Massud Peseschkian once again blamed the USA for the failure of the peace talks. Excessive demands and the "lack of political will of high-ranking US officials" had prevented an agreement, Peseshkian said in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a report by the state-run English-language broadcaster PressTV.
Reports: USA wants 20-year uranium moratorium
According to media reports, the US has demanded that Iran refrain from enriching uranium for 20 years. This was reported by the news portal "Axios" and the "Wall Street Journal", citing informed sources. By making such a demand, the USA would be softening its previous position: US President Donald Trump had only recently emphasized that there would be no uranium enrichment.
According to information from the US media, Iran, for its part, has proposed that uranium enrichment be abandoned for a shorter period of time. "Axios" spoke of a period in the single-digit range, while the "Wall Street Journal" spoke of a few years.
USA blocks Strait of Hormuz - clear criticism from Klingbeil
Following the failed talks in Pakistan, the US has meanwhile tightened its stance: from Monday afternoon, the US regional command Centcom announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked for all ships wishing to enter or leave Iranian ports. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump and his advisors are also considering resuming limited military strikes in Iran.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil does not believe that the blockade is the right way forward: "This will all lead to the situation becoming even more unstable and that we will continue to feel the economic consequences in terms of energy prices and supply chains," the SPD politician told the German Press Agency. "The USA and Iran have a responsibility to find a viable solution for peace." No one has any sympathy for the leadership in Tehran. "But this is a shambles that the Americans have created in Iran."
Guterres: Agreement cannot be reached overnight
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the warring parties to stay on the ball in view of the failed negotiations. The talks in Islamabad had emphasized the "seriousness of the commitment" and thus represented an important step towards a new dialogue, the UN chief's spokesman said. "Given the deep-rooted differences, an agreement cannot be reached overnight."
Despite the uncertain prospects in the negotiations, US Vice President Vance continued to insist on an early end to the war. The USA had achieved its goals and could slowly scale back its involvement. "The President has said that this would not last forever," said Vance.
According to Trump, he had estimated the duration of the war at a maximum of four weeks at the beginning of the fighting, later saying four to six weeks. This time frame expired last weekend.
