Vice President Vance said Thursday that the United States and Iran remain engaged in active negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program, with both sides working through final sticking points on a potential agreement that has been months in the making.

Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Vance told reporters that negotiators were "very close" to reaching an understanding but acknowledged the two nations were still "going back and forth" on key terms. The discussions center on what to do about Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile and whether Tehran will be permitted to continue enrichment activities.

According to U.S. sources familiar with the negotiations, a tentative memorandum of understanding would extend the existing ceasefire for 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, and establish a framework for further discussions on Iran's nuclear program. The agreement remains contingent on approval from President Trump and Iranian leadership.

"There are a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff, the highly enriched stockpile and also the question of enrichment," Vance said. "We do think they're negotiating, at least so far, in good faith, and we're making some progress."

Vance led a U.S. delegation to Islamabad, Pakistan, last month for the first direct peace negotiations between the two nations since 1979. Those talks collapsed amid disagreements over Iran's nuclear program.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers have expressed cautious support for continued diplomacy while raising concerns about the terms under discussion. Senate Foreign Relations Committee members have called for any final agreement to include robust verification mechanisms and international inspections of Iranian facilities.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has argued that diplomatic solutions remain preferable to military confrontation over Iran's nuclear program. "If there's a deal that verifiably prevents Iran from obtaining a weapon while allowing inspection access, that's worth pursuing," Murphy said in recent remarks on the Senate floor.

Progressive groups have echoed calls for diplomatic engagement, noting that previous administrations achieved temporary constraints on Iranian enrichment through negotiated frameworks. The Iran nuclear deal of 2015, which Tehran's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief, has been cited by Democrats as evidence that agreements can work when properly enforced.

Some Democratic voices have urged caution about the current talks, arguing that the Trump administration's demand that Iran surrender its entire enriched stockpile and abandon enrichment rights entirely may be an unrealistic starting position that could derail negotiations. "You don't get to the best outcome by walking away from the table," one Senate aide told Politico in background comments.

What the Right Is Saying

Republican lawmakers have largely praised Vance's handling of the negotiations while warning against accepting terms they view as insufficient to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The administration's position has been clear: Tehran must not be permitted to enrich uranium or retain its current stockpile as part of any final agreement.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been a leading voice for maintaining maximum pressure on Iran. "The only good deal is one that eliminates Iran's ability to enrich, period," Cotton said in a statement. "Anything less is just kicking the can down the road."

Conservative commentators have supported the administration's dual-track approach of military threat combined with diplomatic engagement. The Trump administration has made clear that a negotiated solution remains preferable but that military options remain on the table if diplomacy fails.

The president's Truth Social post from Monday outlined his view that Iran's "nuclear dust" could either be turned over to the United States or destroyed at an acceptable third-party location. Some Republican analysts have interpreted this as flexibility in approach while maintaining pressure for complete denuclearization.

Vice President Vance expressed cautious optimism about reaching a final agreement. "We're getting to a point where we could potentially sit down and settle these issues, but that requires us to make a little bit more progress," he said Thursday. "I can't guarantee that we're going to get there, but right now I feel pretty good about it."

What the Numbers Show

Iran's nuclear program has been a subject of international concern for over two decades. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have verified that Iran has accumulated enough enriched uranium for multiple weapons if further processed, though Tehran consistently maintains its program is solely for peaceful energy purposes.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) limited Iran's enrichment to 3.67 percent purity and restricted its stockpile to 300 kilograms of hexafluoride for 15 years. The Trump administration withdrew from that agreement in 2018, reimposing sanctions and pursuing a "maximum pressure" campaign.

Current negotiations involve the fate of enriched uranium at levels far exceeding civilian reactor needs. Weapons-grade uranium requires enrichment to approximately 90 percent purity, while Iran's accumulated stockpiles have included material enriched to varying levels approaching weapons-grade specifications.

The ceasefire currently in place has lasted approximately three months. The proposed MOU would extend that window by another 60 days while establishing a framework for addressing the nuclear question.

The Bottom Line

Negotiations between the United States and Iran over the future of Tehran's nuclear program remain ongoing, with both sides reporting progress but significant gaps still to bridge. Vice President Vance has described talks as being conducted in good faith, though key questions about uranium stockpiles and enrichment rights have yet to be resolved.

The proposed memorandum of understanding would establish a 60-day framework for continued discussions while maintaining the existing ceasefire. Any final agreement requires approval from both President Trump and Iranian leadership, with negotiations continuing behind closed doors.

What happens next: Both delegations are expected to continue working through remaining sticking points in the coming days. The administration has indicated it hopes to present a final deal to Congress and international partners if an agreement is reached. Watch for further statements from Tehran as Iranian leadership evaluates its response to U.S. proposals.