US, Iran in 'intense indirect talks' for drafting final agreement: Report

The United States and Iran are engaged in "intense", mediated indirect talks to draft a final framework agreement aimed at ending regional conflicts, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and addressing nuclear concerns. aimed at developing a framework for a possible agreement, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported.

According to the report, the two sides are currently exchanging messages and draft texts. And while discussions involve exchanging draft texts through international mediators, significant hurdles remain regarding Iran's uranium enrichment and the scope of US sanctions relief.

'Very close' to reaching deal

An Iranian official earlier told Al Jazeera that negotiators were "very close" to reaching an understanding.

The report also said that intensive mediation efforts are underway, with Mohsin Naqvi currently in Iran to discuss the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Too early

However, US noted that it is still too early to determine whether a final agreement is within reach.

The talks come at a critical juncture as the US has coughed up much of its advanced missile defence interceptors' inventory after burning the candle at both ends for defending Israel using munitions as compared to Israel itself in its war with Iran, The Washington Post has learnt.

According to US officials who spoke to The Washington Post under condition of anonymity on Thursday (local time), the imbalance in the weighing scale raises concerns about the US's commitment to global security.

The US launched more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors to defend Israel along with more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors fired from naval vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, emptying almost half of the Pentagon's inventory.

Israel, meanwhile, fired fewer than 100 of its Arrow interceptors and around 90 David's Sling interceptors, some of which were used against less sophisticated projectiles fired by Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Lebanon.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said that Iran will not get to keep the enriched uranium.

"We get the highly enriched. We will get it. We don't need it; we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it. But we're not going to let them have it. The Iran conflict. That'll end soon, very soon. And when it ends, your gasoline prices will go down lower than they were before," he said.

[With inputs from ANI]