Iran is seeking a limited interim agreement with the US to secure economic relief without major nuclear concessions.
Both sides are exploring a temporary arrangement as prospects for a comprehensive settlement diminish.
Tehran views financial relief and continued leverage over the Strait of Hormuz as key objectives in the negotiations.
Iran is seeking a limited interim agreement with the United States that would ease economic pressure, unlock access to funds and reduce tensions, as Tehran looks to stabilise conditions at home without making major concessions on its nuclear programme, according to sources and analysts.
The push reflects a familiar Iranian negotiating approach of absorbing pressure, avoiding irreversible compromises and keeping talks alive while holding to core positions. Reuters reported that Tehran sees a temporary arrangement as a way to secure financial breathing space, contain domestic economic risks and defer decisions on the most contentious issues, as both sides lower expectations of a comprehensive settlement following months of conflict and economic strain.
The diplomatic effort follows weeks of escalation after U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February expanded into a broader regional conflict. Iranian attacks across the Gulf heightened concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Three months later, despite a fragile ceasefire reached in early April, the conflict has hardened into a stalemate. According to Reuters, a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran's grip on the Strait have maintained pressure on both sides, increasing economic costs while leaving the risk of renewed fighting unresolved.
Against that backdrop, Washington and Tehran are exploring what officials describe as a temporary memorandum, effectively an interim deal aimed at preventing a return to open conflict while postponing disputes over Iran's nuclear activities.
For Tehran, such an arrangement is primarily a means of converting military and economic pressure into liquidity, breathing space and de-escalation without curbing sensitive nuclear work.
Iran is seeking an end to hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon, access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, waivers on crude exports, the lifting of the U.S. port blockade and continued leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, while putting off decisions on the most contentious issues.
The proposed framework would focus on temporary easing measures and phased access through the waterway, while leaving unresolved questions over Iran's enrichment capacity and stockpile of highly enriched uranium, including material enriched to 60%.
Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Tehran's calculations were being shaped less by battlefield risks than by economic pressure and uncertainty.
"Iranian leaders understand that time is not necessarily on their side... their calculation appears to be that dialogue, even limited dialogue, is preferable to entering an open-ended period of economic attrition and uncertainty that could gradually weaken its ability to govern at home and project influence abroad."
The success of the negotiations carries significant implications for both sides. U.S. President Donald Trump is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and curb fuel prices while facing criticism from Iran hawks within his Republican Party over any concessions to Tehran.
Iran's leadership is also confronting domestic pressures. Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and conflict have fuelled inflation, currency depreciation and a sharp decline in living standards.
Reuters reported that short-term financial inflows are central to Tehran's interest in a preliminary agreement, with Iranian officials viewing them as a way to keep the economy running, ease immediate pressures and prevent a resurgence of unrest.
The sources said those concerns have been heightened by recent domestic turmoil. In January, Iran's clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guards killed thousands while suppressing nationwide protests sparked by economic grievances.
Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, said a memorandum could help address concerns about the long-term resilience of the system.
"By ending the conflict, reducing economic strain, removing U.S. military pressure around Iran, and creating space for reconstruction, an MoU could help prevent a gradual erosion of state capacity and governance," Azizi said.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to Iran's leverage. Reuters reported that within the clerical establishment, the waterway is increasingly viewed not simply as a bargaining chip but as a durable strategic asset.
Sources said any arrangement that restores shipping while preserving that leverage would leave Tehran's influence over the chokepoint intact, allowing flows to resume while stability remains tied to political negotiations.
One source said a limited agreement would effectively restore pre-war conditions without forcing Iran to yield to Washington's demands.
"With the start of the war, Trump gave Iran the gift of control over the Strait," the source said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
