Pressure is mounting on American and Iranian negotiators to reach an agreement before the ceasefire expires on Wednesday. However, the prospects remain uncertain.
An analysis by Sky News shows that, although Washington is pushing for accelerated discussions, the complexity of the nuclear dossier makes a quick outcome unlikely.
In this tense context, President Donald Trump announced that an American delegation will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday for a new round of negotiations. However, Iran's leadership has not yet confirmed their participation, according to information reported by dpa and cited by Agerpres.
Who is negotiating: the rumored delegations
On the US side, the negotiations are expected to be led by Vice President JD Vance, considered Trump's main envoy. He would be accompanied by Steve Witkoff, a close special envoy to the president, and Jared Kushner, a former Middle East negotiator.
From the Iranian side, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Parliament, Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister, and Ali Bagheri Kani, a diplomat involved in nuclear negotiations, are mentioned. However, their participation depends on the final decision of Tehran's leadership.
The lesson from the 2015 agreement: years of negotiations, not hours
The stakes are high, but time is extremely limited. Diplomats involved in the 2015 nuclear agreement warn that a solid agreement cannot be quickly achieved. Approximately 200 experts were involved in those negotiations, which lasted for years.
"It took us 12 years and immense technical work. Does anyone really believe this can be done in 21 hours?" said Federica Mogherini, the former head of European diplomacy who coordinated the talks, to Reuters.
The deadlock: enriched uranium
The main sticking point remains the Iranian nuclear program, especially the level of uranium enrichment. The US demands a drastic long-term limitation on it, but Tehran is unlikely to accept such restrictive conditions.
A senior European diplomat warns that Washington could still achieve a quick agreement, but it would be "a weak initial agreement that will create endless problems later on."
Criticism of Trump's team
Meanwhile, doubts arise about the American team's ability to handle such complex negotiations. Military analyst Michael Clarke argues that lack of experience is a major vulnerability.
"These negotiations are not a real estate deal that ends with a handshake," said a regional diplomat informed by Tehran, referring to the profile of some team members like Witkoff.
Most likely scenario: a compromise
In these conditions, the most likely scenario is a compromise agreement, similar to the one in 2015 concluded during the Obama administration, from which Trump later withdrew, calling it "horribly unbalanced."
Such an agreement would allow Iran a limited level of uranium enrichment in exchange for concessions from the US.