U.S. and Iran could hold new peace talks as soon as this week, sources say

Iran warU.S. and Iran could hold new peace talks as soon as this week, sources sayOpening the Strait of Hormuz is a major sticking point in the negotiations, one person familiar with the talks told NBC News. Iran’s nuclear capability is another, a second person familiar with the talks said. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleUS Blockade of Strait of Hormuz Begins Amid New Push for Talks02:11Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 9:25 AM EDTBy Garrett Haake, Gordon Lubold, Katherine Doyle and Chantal Da SilvaA new round of in-person talks between the United States and Iran could be held as early as this week, two people familiar with the ongoing negotiations told NBC News.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.It comes after talks led by Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan over the weekend failed to reach a peace agreement to end the war. Both Vance and President Donald Trump offered hope for future talks on Monday, even as U.S. forces launched a blockade barring ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports.Opening the Strait of Hormuz for a free flow of shipping is a major sticking point in the negotiations for any agreement, one of the people said. Iran’s nuclear capability is another, the second person said. The U.S. asked Iran during the marathon talks in Islamabad that failed over the weekend for a 20-year suspension of uranium enrichment, the second person said. The Iranians agreed to three to five years, which Trump has said is not acceptable, the second person said.The U.S. has also asked Iran to remove highly enriched uranium from the country, but Iran agreed to a “monitored process of down blending" — which is a process by which more dangerous, highly-enriched uranium is mixed with natural or less potent uranium to create a less potent material, according to the second person familiar with the ongoing negotiations.A U.S. official told N...