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As Trump touts nuclear progress, US-Iran talks show little momentum

With a final nuclear agreement far from reach, the US-Iran conflict risks settling into a new status quo.

Nathan Howard / AFP via Getty Images
US Vice President JD Vance listens to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as they attend a quadrilateral meeting between the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026. — Nathan Howard / AFP via Getty Images

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that “the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” even as there is little indication that the two sides have engaged meaningfully on Iran’s nuclear program. 

Their memorandum of understanding calls for 60 days of talks focused on Iran's nuclear program, including its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Trump's vice president, JD Vance, said the negotiation clock began on June 18. 

Trump has repeatedly insisted that his future nuclear deal will be better than the 2015 pact that took the Obama administration two years to negotiate. But the technical nature of Iran’s nuclear program has most observers doubtful that a comprehensive agreement could be reached in the coming weeks and months.

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