US WARNS IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS AT IMPASSE AS TRUMP WEIGHS RESUMING MILITARY ACTION

Nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran have stalled after Washington rejected Tehran's most recent proposal as inadequate. Iran's updated offer included additional language committing not to pursue a nuclear weapon but did not contain detailed commitments to suspend uranium enrichment or transfer its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to senior U.S. officials who spoke with Axios. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Iran has not submitted a formal response to the latest American proposal as of May 21.

The central sticking point remains the duration of any moratorium on uranium enrichment. The United States has demanded a 20-year halt; Iran proposed five years. Three sources told Axios that negotiators had been working toward a compromise of at least 12 years, with one source placing 15 years as a likely landing point. No agreement has been reached, and the gap between the two positions remains wide.

Under the proposed framework reported in early May, Iran would lift restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz — in place since March — and the United States would end its naval blockade on Iranian ports imposed in April. Washington would also commit to gradually lifting sanctions and releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds. The deal remains unsigned as both sides continue exchanging competing drafts, according to reporting by Time and Al Jazeera.

President Trump is expected to convene senior national security officials to assess military options should talks continue to fail, U.S. officials said. The prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure has contributed to rising energy prices and global inflation pressures throughout May, with bond markets reacting to the supply disruption. Multiple mediators, including Oman and Qatar, are continuing efforts to narrow the gaps between the two sides, according to the Institute for the Study of War.