US Media: Slight Progress in Iran Negotiations as Trump Deadline Approaches

On April 8, according to AXIOS, a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and two sources familiar with the negotiations stated that progress has been made in talks between the U.S. and Iran over the past 24 hours. However, the likelihood of reaching a ceasefire agreement before the deadline set by Trump at 8 PM Eastern Time appears low. One U.S. official indicated that the White House’s focus has shifted from ‘Can an agreement be reached?’ to ‘Can an agreement be reached by 8 PM (local time) tonight?’ The key challenge currently is how to meet Iran’s demands for strong guarantees from the U.S. and Israel to ensure that both sides do not resume hostilities after a ceasefire, as well as the slow response from Iran’s leadership due to the tense security situation. On Monday, Iran submitted a proposal to the U.S. through a mediator. Although this proposal does not align with the U.S. position, according to one U.S. official and another informed source, the White House actually sees it as somewhat positive. A U.S. official stated, ‘The last proposal we received does not fully meet our expectations, but it is much better than what we initially envisioned.’ Sources indicate that negotiations are expected to continue in the coming hours until Trump’s deadline expires.