US-Iran talks gain momentum as Washington pushes for deal to end war

Added: 2026-05-08

[00:00:00]No, they want to make a deal badly and we'll see if we get there. If we get there, they can't have nuclear weapons.

[00:00:05]You know, it's very simple, but uh what's not to submit? So, they had a navy with 159 ships and now every ship is blown to pieces. Uh they want to make a deal. We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours and it's very possible that we'll make a deal.

[00:00:22]>> Now, in a moment, we'll be live in Thran. First though, let's head to Washington to speak to our White House correspondent, Kimberly Halett.

[00:00:29]Kimberly, what more do we know about the real status of the talks between the US and Iran?

[00:00:36]>> We know that deliberately the Trump administration is being somewhat vague on where things stand given the fact that they can change so quickly. But what is being widely reported here in the US is that there is now an effort underway, a framework of understanding that may include up to 14 points that is intended to try and restart negotiations that this memorandum would put in place a 30-day period for negotiating and diplomacy. Now, as you mentioned, uh this is something that uh has been put forward, we understand, by the United States to the Iranians. They are reviewing it now in Thrron and we and the world awaits the response which is expected to come via Islamabad or uh the Pakistani mediators that have been consistently working between the two sides and a running dialogue since the last round of talks direct talks wrapped up many weeks ago in Pakistan. So uh that's where things stand again uh they are subject to change but what we know from the US president as he was speaking in the Oval Office not long ago is that he said that there has been a lot of progress great progress he said and that he believes Iran wants to make a deal.

[00:01:56]>> Also though earlier on Truth Social posted that if Iran doesn't actually agree he's threatening now to start bombing again. It's not the first time though that he's been issuing threats to Iran. Kimberly, what can we actually read into what Donald Trump is saying this time?

[00:02:14]>> Well, I think that this time is very similar to the previous times where Donald Trump has fallen into a sort of predictable pattern and this is recognizable yet again. What he's done is escalate the tensions between the United States and Iran publicly. He has created hard deadlines that they must meet. He has threatened overwhelming force if Iran does not meet his arbitrary deadline while at the same time leaving open the possibility of diplomacy. What this is is the US president essentially building on his true social post from Tuesday where he is exerting maximum pressure. He has uh paused the project freedom or the escorting of ships through the straight of Hormuz by the United States. And as we heard from the secretary of state on Tuesday has ended project or rather epic freed epic fury the military campaign.

[00:03:10]What all of this is doing is leaving open the space for diplomacy. Well at the same time the US president believes that through the military action of the United States that Iran has been uh not only economically but also militarily weakened and as a result the US looking for Iran to make concessions. That's our White House correspondent, Kimberly Halet, reporting live from Washington.

[00:03:34]Thank you so much, Kimberly.

[00:03:37]US Central Command says it's stopped an Iranian flagged oil tanker from trying to breach the naval blockade. Now, this is at least the second time that US forces have disabled vessels linked to Thran. Sentcom says in a statement that an F18 fighter jet fired on the Hazna, disabling its rotor. It was in international waters and was said to be in route to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. Sentcom says the crew failed to comply with repeated warnings.

[00:04:09]Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced a new protocol for the spread of Hermuse. Vessels will have to make payments in Iranian currency to pass through this waterway. Countries involved in the war will have to pay for any damage to Iran before they are granted a transit permit.

[00:04:28]Let's head over to the Iranian capital now and speak to Almagdad almdad. What are Iran's red lines here and what's actually up for negotiations in these talks with the US?

[00:04:41]Well, actually the Iran headlines uh over the past few weeks become increasingly uh clear when it comes to uh their stance and their position and to uh the progress that they going to made in the negotiating table. And the top of that uh it becomes with the nuclear file nuclear program they are saying that it's their right to enrich uranium in the peaceful measure and also when it comes to the issue of existing uh highly enriched uranium stockpile they are saying that we will not hand that stockpile uh to their enemies as they described as they say and also they are sticking every uh sticking point with the sovereignty over the state of foremost sovereignty over their territory about their military position and military stance on the region. They are speaking about the the the the source of security, the new regulation to uh to be a source of security here in the region and also urging the Gulf States to not rely on the presence of the United States bases because they are saying that the the presence of the United States here in the region is a source of insecurity rather than their security. So they're speaking clearly uh about uh the the red lines and also they are lefting something to negotiations and the answer here it's about 14 point it it's focus on the agreement to reach uh fully end of this war with the guarantees that we're not going to happen again the straight of once again now it's being promised for open navigation but what are the conditions now that Iran is placing on any kind of passage by vessels through that straight.

[00:06:36]So the IRGC Navy saying that the strait is open but uh under their condition under their mechanism under their control uh any vessels must assign to IRGC Navy and also to the Persian Gulf Authority uh to uh designate a safe route a safe corridor to pass through this strategic chalk point and with a fully coordination with the IRGC Navy uh to uh have a permit transit permit and also it's kind of a strategy for for from Thran to uh guarantee a revenue at all a fees from this transit because they are saying that we need to uh we know that we need a reparation of uh of the impact of this war. So it seems like an strategy for them and now uh they are implement that strategy and also we saw a day yesterday that they are releasing a map of geographical control uh speaking about tightening their control there and it seems like this is uh this is point uh came here from different leadership especially from Muhammad Bakr Khalibah and also from GI in his visit today in in between is speaking clearly about the position of the strat of hormos, the the the condition in the strate of hormos and also came from Muhammad Bakr Khalibah, a head of negotiator speaking uh yesterday after the escalating measures between the United States Navy and the IRGC Navy. They are saying that there is a new equation here and it seems like they are implementing this equation on the ground by releasing this body to to author to control and to administrate that choke point and it seems like right now there is a new regime on that waterway.

[00:08:33]>> Mdad Alrah live for us from Tehran.

[00:08:35]Thank you so much for that report.