Draft US-Iran deal asks Tehran to hand over enriched uranium within seven days of signing

A preliminary draft of an agreement to end the military confrontation between the United States and Iran has been finalised. The development comes amid a long-running war and political tension in West Asia. In the proposed deal, the US has set very stringent conditions to curb Iran's nuclear programme and secure international sea routes.

The main condition in the draft is that within just seven days of signing, Iran must hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to an approved third country or downgrade it.

The agreement is not limited to nuclear weapons. It also proposes making the Strait of Hormuz safe and open again for all international ships. The route is considered extremely sensitive for international trade. China could take on the role of mediator and guarantor to ensure the deal holds and both sides follow the rules. It has also been proposed that direct talks be held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, instead of Istanbul in Turkey. If Iran accepts these conditions, the US will ease the economic sanctions and the naval blockade on it.

Qatar has taken active diplomatic steps to make the deal happen. A high-level delegation led by Qatar's foreign minister and the prime minister's senior adviser reached Tehran, the Iranian capital, on Friday morning. The delegation is working in direct contact with Washington and is holding detailed talks with senior officials in Tehran on a ceasefire.

According to the draft, an independent international verification mechanism will be set up to check whether both countries are properly complying with each stage of the agreement. This is meant to ensure that no country makes a concession first without independent verification. A special dispute resolution committee is also planned, so that military tension does not flare up again if a dispute arises or the agreement breaks down.

US Vice President JD Vance had sent a special letter to Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian security official, through Qatar's ambassador. The letter has been welcomed in Tehran. It is seen as an important diplomatic milestone towards stopping direct military strikes between the two countries. The letter indicated that the US now wants peace through an agreement rather than tougher action.

Intense deliberations are under way within Iran's government over the deal. The Iranian economy is in deep crisis because of long-standing economic sanctions. In such a situation, the peace proposal brought by Qatar could prove a relief for Iran. However, the US will not lift sanctions without full compliance with the conditions, so the world is watching Iran's stance.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump took a hard line while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. Trump said, "Washington is in no hurry at all to end this conflict. Time is on America's side." He said this was no ordinary war but a fight that has been going on for the past seven months.

Trump claimed that Iran's internal economic condition had become very bad. He said, "Iran is very eager to talk to American officials. They do not even have money left to pay their soldiers and police. The situation is bad, which is why they want to talk, and the discussions are on right now." Trump's statement has increased the pressure on Iran.