Iran-US Peace Talks Hit Reality Check As Tehran Says ‘No Deal’, Deadlock Continues | US-Iran | N18G

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]I request you Siddhant to please stay with us. We're getting this CNN News18 exclusive.

[00:00:05]Iran-US peace talk hit reality check.

[00:00:08]Tehran says deal still far off. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said despite ongoing high-level mediation, operational and ideological gaps between Tehran and Washington remain deep and significant. Trump canceling his weekend plans to be back in DC amidst the war restart the speculation.

[00:00:30]Let me now go back to my colleague Siddhant. Siddhant, it seems that there is no mediation that is working between Iran and US at this point. And what are you picking up? What is the Indian side actually seeing this? Are they actually seeing some sort of a release in relief in coming days? Because this is affecting every nation while we speak.

[00:00:50]Well, of course, this is a Manoj Gupta story. In fact, deep and significant differences with the the United States are persisting. That's what Iran claims.

[00:00:59]Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson says peace negotiations with the United States are not close. It's difficult to say if a deal will be reached over a weeks or months. Iran state media quoted Esmail Baghaei as saying the gaps between Tehran and Washington are deep and significant. We cannot necessarily say that we have reached a point where an agreement is close. In fact, top intel sources are telling this to Manoj Gupta that negotiations are mediated by Pakistan and messages exchanged through intermediaries rather than direct talks.

[00:01:32]Iran is currently reviewing the latest US response to its 14-point proposal for ending the conflict. Core sticking points include Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and its right to domestic uranium enrichment in Tehran see them as a non-negotiable and their sovereign right. Perhaps I would like to weigh in on this particular particular point, Sherine. In fact, day before yesterday, Uh, was uh, Iranian media reporting that Mojtaba Khamenei wants nuclear stock stockpile to to to to remain in uh, Iran. Perhaps this is something which United States uh, will never accept. Other Otherwise it will be a big uh, face loss for President Trump because he has been saying this all throughout that he will not let Iran uh, make uh, make nuclear bomb. So, if his stockpile remains in Iran, it would be a face loss. So, it has become a major sticking point to to the best of my understanding of this issue. The focus remains Now, Manoj uh, reports that the focus remains narrowly on ending the war and addressing the Strait of Hormuz with nuclear program details deliberately sidelined for now. No clear timeline for resolution exists with Baghai uh, emphasizing that talks uh, continue but deep mistrust persists due to persist due to past violations of ceasefires and ongoing military posturing in the region. Also, Sherin uh, you know, this new uh, uh, perhaps territory which uh, now Iranians say uh, belong to them, the maritime route that they are going to control along uh, with the with Oman.

[00:02:59]They are going to put toll. Uh, perhaps it's something which is not acceptable to the United States. In fact, the yesterday when Secretary Rubio was addressing media at in Sweden. Uh, in fact, he spoke about uh, this term uh, not accepted by the United States and he said that a country should not be paying toll to Iran to use uh, the waterway.

[00:03:21]And in fact, Iran uh, also extended uh, uh, the its territory uh, in in in in the waters uh, perhaps last two last week. Now, it touches uh, the waters uh, the Emirati waters on on this side of uh, the Hormuz and it also touches the Omani water on on um, in the Gulf of uh, Oman. So, uh, perhaps Iran says that they control this entire route and there's going to be toll which uh, which a country needs to pay to get the vessels pass so on and so forth. So, which is something United States is not agreeing for and this is also a main point of contention between the United States and Iran. Well, and Siddhant, you know, we saw Marco Rubio before coming to India say that, you know, US remains in close touch with Asim Munir and Pakistan remains a key interlocutor, but now we have this news since last night of Donald Trump canceling, you know, his weekend plans. He's back to Washington, D.C. for what he said something really important from the nation's point of view. We believe he's also going to host a high-level security meeting to take stock of what is happening with the Iran negotiations. Do you think the time for Iran is also running out? Do you see war clouds looming on Iran? Do we see a strike soon, maybe, because the US has held it off for quite a number of days now.

[00:04:44]Well, of course, there is definitely something brewing up, Aman. And in fact, President Trump not attending his son's wedding and perhaps saying that there is Iran issue on the table. There are other issues on the table perhaps because of which he won't be able to attend his son's wedding. Then in fact, this is what Axios is reporting, Aman, that Trump met with top national security advisers on Friday as he weighs possible new strikes on Iran. According to US officials, Trump is seriously considering {quote} "military action unless negotiations improve." Though there is no indication Trump has made a decision to resume the war. In fact, Field Marshal Asim Munir is in Iran or rather traveling to Iran.

[00:05:33]This time around, he's also accompanied by ISI chief.

[00:05:39]Before him, Mohsin Naqvi was in Tehran.

[00:05:42]In fact, you know, there were many rounds of talks took place between Iran and mediator Pakistan. In fact, proposal which was which was given by Iran to Pakistan was sent to the United States.

[00:05:57]Then you know, then then the United States again returned proposal to Iran via Pakistan, you know, perhaps raising their concern so on and so forth. So the details there there is very little detail available about the proposal and the counter proposal being made by Iran and the United States. But what all I can tell our viewers that next few days are going to be very very crucial as far as negotiations between United States and Iran is concerned.

[00:06:29]All right. Many thanks Siddhant for putting all those details into perspective. We continue to be on this big story. Marco Rubio on a four-day visit to India.

[00:06:38]Keep tuning in to CNN News18.

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