Delving into Islamabad talks: US proposed 20-year 'suspension' of Iranian nuclear activity, Tehran said 5

As peace negotiations between Iran and United States broke down in Islamabad last week, both parties blamed the other for throwing a wrench in the talks and leaving the West Asia region in a state of limbo.

One of the main points of contention between the two nations was Iran's nuclear programme. As he was about to board the plane to go back home, Vance described Iran and the United States as worlds apart and clearly stated Iran can never build a nuclear weapon — “not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term.”

With details of 21-hour marathon talks slowly coming to the surface, people familiar with matter said that the US position was not a permanent ban on nuclear enrichment by Iran.

Instead, the United States proposed a 20-year “suspension” of all nuclear activity. According to New York Times. this would allow the Iranians to claim they had not permanently given up their right, under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to produce their own nuclear fuel.

Iran came back with a new proposal of their own, saying they would suspend nuclear activity for up to five years. A very similar proposal was tabled during talks in Geneva in February. Those talks too did not bore the desired fruit but instead convinced US President Donald Trump to go to war.

However, the fact that both sides are discussing time frame regarding nuclear suspension itself indicates that haven't ruled out peace talks altogether.

According to reports, Pakistan claimed that the next set of negotiations between the two countries can be expected soon. White House officials said no meetings had been finalized, but another round of in-person negotiations was being discussed.

Another point of contention is US's demand that Iran remove 970 pounds of uranium from the country, to ensure it could never be diverted to a bomb project.

Trump has weighed sending in ground troops to Isfahan to secure the bulk of the highly enriched uranium, which is stored deep underground.

The Iranians have insisted the fuel must stay within Iran. But they have offered, as they did in Geneva, to dilute it so that it could not be used to produce a nuclear weapon.

According to political scientist Ian Bremmer, the US and Iran may close the deal on a twelve-and-a-half-year suspension on uranium enrichment.

Apart from Iran's Nuclear programme, the talks centered around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint which provides gateway tp 20 per cent of world's maritime trade.

After the war commenced, Iran closed this vital strait plunging the world in pit of chaos and sending the oil prices surging.

The collapse of talks was followed by US threatening to impose a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command said enforcement would apply “impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”