US, Iran Inch Toward Understanding Aimed at Easing Tensions
- First stage would see prisoners released, payments unfrozen
- Further diplomacy could result in Iranian nuclear restraint
Demonstrators wave Iranian flags in front of the US Capitol during a "March of Solidarity for Iran" in Washington, DC in October 2022.
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The US and Iran are close to an informal understanding under which Tehran would free American prisoners and eventually limit its nuclear program, people familiar with the matter said.
Negotiations through intermediaries in Oman and on the sidelines of United Nations meetings led to an initial agreement for Iran to free US prisoners, while the US would release payments owed to the Islamic Republic that were frozen by sanctions, according to officials with knowledge the talks.