‘Many gaps remain’: Iran says US talks nowhere near final breakthrough

Iran has said it remains “still far from a final agreement” with the United States despite ongoing negotiations, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and key nuclear demands continue to stall progress.Speaking in a televised interview, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said talks had yielded limited results but major differences remained. “On some issues, conclusions have been reached in the negotiations, and on others not; we are still far from a final agreement,” he said. In a separate address, he added: “We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”The remarks come as a fragile two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington nears its expiry on Wednesday, with mediators pushing for an extension amid uncertainty over a permanent deal. Ghalibaf insisted Iran had entered the truce from a position of strength. “We were victorious in the field,” he said, adding that the United States had failed to achieve its objectives. “If we accepted the ceasefire, it was because they accepted our demands.”The situation has been further complicated by Iran’s renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route. Tehran said the passage would remain restricted unless Washington lifted its naval blockade on Iranian ports. “If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited,” Ghalibaf warned.Iranian officials have framed their control over the strait as a strategic advantage, even as the move disrupted shipping and heightened security risks. The Revolutionary Guards warned that any unauthorised transit would be treated as cooperation with the enemy and “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.”Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said “very good conversations” were underway but cautioned Iran against attempting to “blackmail” Washington. “We’re taking a tough stand,” he said.Behind the scenes, high-level talks, including a meeting between Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad earlier this month, have failed to produce a breakthrough. Iran has also ruled out key US demands, including transferring its stockpile of enriched uranium, calling such proposals a “non-starter”.