US-Iran talks stall as Trump keeps the Hormuz blockade in place and Tehran refuses to give up enrichment

Talks between the United States and Iran to end their seven-month war have stalled, and both governments now describe them that way. President Donald Trump has kept the US naval blockade in place and has repeatedly said that the United States has "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz. When he first made the claim on Truth Social, he added, "I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!" Euronews reported. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that there is no process to extend the interim agreement the two sides reached in June. The official said Washington violated that agreement 48 hours after it was reached and withdrew from it a few days later, according to Reuters. Asked whether he would seek an extension, Trump answered "No," NewsNation reported.

Recent statements from both capitals match that account. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called negotiations with Washington "meaningless," and Iran International reported that a third tanker had been hit near Hormuz. Indirect contacts on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly produced no breakthrough, and Qatar is trying to narrow the differences, CNN reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tehran had missed "multiple" chances for a nuclear deal.

The main dispute is still nuclear. US Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the war, Dawn reported. Vance also said Washington is unsure how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations. Israel's Globes quoted him in Hebrew translation: "If you don't want a nuclear weapon, why do you need fuel enriched to 60%?" A senior Iranian official replied that Vance's comments reflect American "ideas and interests" and said "Iran will never give up its right to enrich, but enrichment details can be discussed later," CBS News reported.

Trump said nobody knows who is running Iran, according to The Hindu. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman had already answered that argument on October 4. He said Washington "knows very well" who its counterpart is and how Iran's decision-making system works. If the US version is accepted, Washington can delay a deal and keep its pressure in place. If Tehran's version is accepted, its negotiators keep their standing as the authority that can deliver a settlement. The US demand also appears to have changed since spring. At talks in Pakistan in April, US negotiators sought a 20-year halt to enrichment, and Iran offered a pause of less than 10 years. Vance's public condition is now a reduction in capacity. The interview does not show whether that reflects a change in the US negotiating position.

With talks stalled, Washington is relying on economic pressure. Iranian oil held outside the blockade zone has fallen to 10 million barrels from 100 million in July, according to the data firm Kpler. If Iran keeps finding buyers at its current rate, it could run out of crude to sell by the end of October, CNN reported. The Treasury Department has also extended its sanctions campaign to Iran's automotive and rail industries.

The fighting has also spread beyond the main front. Yemen's Houthi movement said it attacked a Saudi base where ballistic missiles and drones are stored, Globes reported. Saudi confirmation was not available in the reporting. The Houthis made similar claims in September against Sharurah and King Khalid Air Base.