Diplomatic tensions around proposed talks between Iran and the United States have taken a new turn this week, after a senior insider close to Iran’s negotiating team refuted widespread Western reports claiming a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) had already been completed. As reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Thursday, the anonymous source pushed back against assertions that the draft text was only waiting for a formal public announcement from both national governments, emphasizing that such claims do not align with the actual status of negotiations.
The source made clear that the full text of the proposed MoU has not yet reached a finalized version, contradicting the earlier report published by U.S.-based outlet Axios. Earlier the same day, Axios broke the story claiming that negotiators from both Washington and Tehran had already agreed to a draft MoU that would extend a existing ceasefire for 60 days and open the door to formal negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
Beyond confirming the draft remains unfinished, the source added that Iran has not yet notified Pakistani mediators, who have been facilitating the backchannel talks between the two sides, that the work on the document has been concluded. The insider stressed that Tehran will follow a clear public protocol once negotiations on the text wrap up: Iranian officials will first formally alert Pakistani mediators of the completion, then issue a public announcement to disclose full details of the agreement.
Until that formal process is completed, the source argued, any Western reports that claim the MoU has already been finalized carry no credibility. The development highlights the ongoing volatility of backchannel diplomacy between Iran and the U.S., two nations with decades of strained bilateral relations, as international observers continue to monitor progress on potential nuclear talks and ceasefire extensions.