Dubai, LOGIC.co.id – U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington is close to reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran, claiming that Tehran has “somewhat” agreed to key terms of the proposed deal.
“We are in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said during a visit to the Gulf region, as quoted from a pool report shared by AFP on Thursday (May 15, 2025).
“We're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this... there (are) two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don't want to do it the second way,” he added.
Ongoing Negotiations Trigger Oil Price Decline
Trump’s statement had an immediate impact on energy markets. Global oil prices fell by around US$2 amid expectations that a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal would ease sanctions on Tehran, potentially boosting global oil supply.
An Iranian source familiar with the negotiations revealed that several differences still need to be resolved. The latest round of talks between Iran and the U.S. took place in Oman last Sunday and is expected to resume shortly.
While both sides have expressed a preference for diplomacy, the talks remain hindered by each party’s respective "red lines."
Iran Open to Compromise, Demands Sanctions Relief
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that Tehran is willing to reach a new nuclear deal.
According to Shamkhani, Iran is ready to:
• Commit to not developing nuclear weapons
• Eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium
• Enrich uranium only at low levels for civilian use
• Allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities
However, Iran demands a clear reciprocal action — the lifting of key U.S. economic sanctions.
Unfortunately, the U.S. has yet to show willingness to lift major sanctions, according to Iranian sources. Washington has also rejected Iran’s request to reduce enriched uranium stockpiles in phases and disagrees on which countries should receive the transferred material.
Iran Insists on Right to Enrich Uranium
Despite showing flexibility, Iran has firmly stated that a complete halt to uranium enrichment is a non-negotiable red line.
“Iran is willing to reduce enrichment levels, but it will not give up its right to enrich uranium on its own soil,” said the source.
Iran also insists that uranium stockpiles must not fall below the limits set in the 2015 nuclear agreement — a deal that Trump withdrew from during his previous term in office.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian even slammed Trump’s rhetoric, accusing him of destabilizing the region.
“Trump thinks he can sanction and threaten us and then talk of human rights. All the crimes and regional instability is caused by them (the United States),” Pezeshkian said on Tuesday.