US-Iran ceasefire deal stalls as Tehran says concessions come 'through missiles'
Tentative 60-day extension uncertain; Iranian official signals nuclear negotiations remain contentious.
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A tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire between the United States and Iran faces uncertainty Friday as Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared his country gains concessions "through missiles, not talks."
US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday the adversaries had reached a tentative deal but acknowledged continued debate over "a couple of language points" and uncertainty over whether President Donald Trump would approve it.
According to a US official, the tentative agreement would continue the three-month-old ceasefire for 60 days and restart negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. Among the first issues to be negotiated would be what happens to Iran's highly enriched uranium — the country currently holds 440.9 kilograms enriched to 60% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Qalibaf wrote on X that Iran has "no trust in guarantees or words, only actions" and "no step will be taken before the other side acts." He added: "The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war the day after it is signed."
Vance indicated negotiators were working on general terms around uranium enrichment and stockpiles in the tentative agreement, with specifics to be hammered out in ensuing talks. Though Trump and his team initially framed a primary objective as preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, Vance framed the war's accomplishments as "substantially setting back their nuclear program" over the long term — a narrower goal.
The tentativeness of the deal and Iran's hardline messaging suggest talks remain fragile as both sides weigh geopolitical positioning and domestic politics.