Three Key Issues Between US and Iran to Be Solved

Washington and Tehran “are far from a final” agreement, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibauff said in a state television interview Saturday, with a ceasefire expected to expire within days.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said negotiations are still continuing, but Iran “became a bit cute”, the Telegrafi broadcast.

He had said several times this week that an agreement with Iran was very close, claiming Tehran has made some key concessions.

Indications point to a number of obstacles still to be resolved, and Trump has threatened not to extend the current ceasefire unless Iran reaches an agreement.

Here are the main points of the cramp:

The fate of Iran's uranium reserves: Trump suggested this week that Iran agreed to send its highly enriched uranium reserves to the US -- a claim that was quickly rejected by a senior Iranian official, who said the request was “irrevocable”.

Iran has about 400kg of uranium enriched 60%. A proposal that has been put forward includes unblocking Iranian assets in exchange for handing over his reserves from Tehran.

Iran has called for great relief of sanctions and unblocking assets over $20 billion, a familiar source of negotiations told CNN.

Limitations on uranium enrichment: The duration of any suspension of Iran's enrichment programme remains another point of contention.

The Iranian official who spoke to CNN dismissed Trump's claim that Tehran agreed to stop the programme indefinitely, saying Iran “will never accept” as a “exception from international law”.

During talks last weekend, American negotiators proposed a 20-year pause for Iran's enriching uranium, a source familiar with discussions told CNN.

Iran responded with a proposal for a five-year suspension, which the United States has rejected, according to an American official.

The restoration of Hormuz Strait: The world took a breath Friday, when Iran announced it would reopen the main route of shipping, which has been effectively closed for nearly two months.

But relief was short - lived. Iran says it is restoring strict restrictions on shipping in response to Trump, saying an American blockade on Iranian ports will continue until an agreement is reached.