Iran and U.S. remain far apart on sanctions relief as talks eye early March

Iran and the United States remain far apart on the scope and mechanics of sanctions relief being considered in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear programme, a senior Iranian official told Reuters in Dubai on Feb. 22, 2026, underscoring how technical differences could determine whether diplomacy yields a deal or collapses under security pressure.

"The negotiations continue and the possibility of reaching an interim agreement exists," the official said, laying out three technical concessions Tehran might seriously consider: exporting part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, diluting the purity of its HEU, and participating in a regional consortium for uranium enrichment. Those steps, the official said, would be conditional on reciprocal U.S. recognition of Iran’s right to "peaceful nuclear enrichment."

Iran’s negotiating stance also made clear economic redlines. "Tehran will not hand over control of its oil and mineral resources," the official said, while adding that U.S. companies could participate "as contractors in Iran’s oil and gas fields" and could be offered "opportunities for serious investment and tangible economic interests in Iran’s oil industry." The precise scale, sequencing and verification of any HEU transfers or downblending were not described in the reporting.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, told Reuters earlier in the week that he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready "within days" after recent nuclear talks with the United States. The senior Iranian official said renewed negotiations were planned for early March, raising the possibility of an interim deal if the two sides can bridge disputes over which sanctions would be lifted, when, and by what mechanisms.

Yet the diplomatic track runs up against immediate security risks. Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes, and an anonymous senior regional official told Bloomberg, as cited by Turkiyetoday, that "Tehran would likely suspend participation in talks if the U.S. launched a strike." That mix of diplomatic openings and explicit military threat creates a brittle backdrop for technical bargaining over centrifuge material and contracting rights.

Beyond geopolitics, the differences over "scope and mechanism" carry tangible consequences for ordinary Iranians and regional populations. How quickly sanctions are eased, and which transactions are permitted, will shape hospitals’ access to medicines, the ability to import medical equipment spare parts, and the liquidity available to sustain public health services. The reporting contained no operational details on independent verification, timelines, or the role of international monitors such as the IAEA, gaps that could complicate both implementation and domestic political buy-in in Iran and the United States.

Negotiators face a narrow window: renewed talks due in early March and a draft Tehran counterproposal imminent. If the parties move beyond headline concessions to agree on sequencing, custody and verification of HEU steps and a clear timetable for lifting targeted sanctions, an interim arrangement could follow. If military options are pursued instead, the prospect of a negotiated pause in Iran’s nuclear advances would likely evaporate, with immediate risks for communities already vulnerable to constrained economic and health services.

Reporting Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; Dubai Newsroom; editing by Alex Richardson. Additional elements cited from Turkiyetoday’s use of Bloomberg reporting.