Washington, April 6 (SANA) The United States and Iran are engaged in indirect negotiations, mediated by regional countries, to explore a potential 45-day ceasefire as part of efforts to curb escalating tensions, according to sources cited by U.S. news site Axios.
The talks, involving American, Israeli and regional mediators, are aimed at securing a temporary truce that could serve as a first step toward a broader agreement to halt military escalation. However, the sources said the likelihood of reaching a deal within hours remains low, describing the current efforts as a last chance to avoid a wider conflict.
Failure to reach an agreement could lead to a major escalation, including possible U.S. and Israeli strikes on targets inside Iran, which could trigger retaliatory Iranian attacks on critical infrastructure in the Gulf region and Israel, according to the report.
Negotiations are being conducted through mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, alongside direct message exchanges between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. A U.S. official said the administration of President Donald Trump has submitted several proposals to Tehran in recent days, none of which have been accepted.
Discussions are focused on a two-phase framework. The first phase would involve a 45-day ceasefire, potentially extendable, followed by a second phase aimed at reaching a permanent agreement to end military operations.
Mediators said key issues, including the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, would be addressed only in a final agreement, as they remain central leverage points for Tehran.
As part of confidence-building measures, the talks include possible limited steps by Iran on these issues in exchange for U.S. assurances that any ceasefire would not become a short-lived arrangement vulnerable to collapse.
Iran has told mediators it will not accept what it described as a “Gaza or Lebanon scenario,” in which ceasefires are declared without guarantees of long-term sustainability, the sources said.
Mediators warned that the window for reaching an agreement is rapidly narrowing, with the next 48 hours seen as critical to preventing a broader escalation.
The report added that a deadline set by Trump for Iran — initially 10 days — was due to expire Monday evening before being extended by an additional 20 hours to Tuesday evening. Trump said the United States is “deeply engaged in negotiations” with Iran, expressing hope for a deal while warning of significant escalation if talks fail.
R.D
