US-Iran still at odds over key issues as ceasefire talks continue

US Vice-President JD Vance said several key issues still need to be resolved before any agreement with Iran on the war can be reached.

Speaking to the BBC, he said it was too early to say "when or if" President Donald Trump and Iran's leadership would finalise a deal.

The proposed agreement would reportedly extend the ceasefire by 60 days and open negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

US officials had earlier told the BBC that a framework had been agreed upon in principle, pending approval from both Trump and Iran's leadership. However, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said no deal had been finalised or confirmed.

Vance said negotiators were still "going back and forth on a couple of language points," including the issue of uranium enrichment.

"We're not there yet, but we're very close, and we're going to keep on working at it," he told reporters in Washington, DC, adding that the US believed Iran was negotiating in "good faith."

The US has long demanded that Iran halt production of highly enriched uranium and dispose of its existing stockpile, which could potentially be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Since the initial ceasefire took effect on 8 April, Trump has repeatedly suggested that a deal is near, but no concrete agreement has been reached so far.

He is also under growing pressure to end the conflict, including from Gulf allies, Democratic opponents of the war, and some Republican lawmakers concerned about its duration.

The mixed reports highlight how uncertain and fluid the negotiations remain, with both sides offering conflicting accounts and few details about the proposal.

Officials have warned that "option B," a return to military action, remains possible if talks fail.

Extending the ceasefire would allow more time for discussions on complex technical issues, particularly Iran's nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump has suggested options including seizing the material or jointly diluting it in place or elsewhere.

Reports also say the proposed deal could allow unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, require Iran to remove mines from the shipping route within 30 days, lift the US blockade, and issue sanctions waivers so Iran can resume oil exports.

Axios reported that Trump had been briefed on the proposal but had not yet approved it and would consider it for a few days.

Iranian state media had earlier described an unofficial draft memorandum of understanding between the two countries, including provisions such as lifting the US naval blockade and restoring non-military traffic through the Strait of Hormuz under joint management with Oman. The White House dismissed the report as a "complete fabrication."

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to confirm any agreement, saying it would be a mistake to get ahead of the president and that any decision would ultimately be his.

He added that discussions about reconstruction would come only after a deal were reached.

Meanwhile, both sides have accused each other of violating the fragile ceasefire in recent days.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck a US base after fresh US attacks in southern Iran, while Iranian state media claimed a US aircraft had been downed.

US Central Command denied the claim, stating that no US aircraft were lost and all assets were accounted for.