Interview with Aljazeera, June 16, 2026
At the heart of this particular aspect of the dispute is a longstanding disagreement over the purpose of Iran’s nuclear program, according to Seyed Hossein Mousavian, an Iranian policymaker and former diplomat who served on Tehran’s nuclear negotiating team in talks with the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The hardest battle will be “to reconcile Iran’s insistence on maintaining a peaceful enrichment program under the [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons], with Washington’s demand for stringent restrictions that ensure the program cannot be diverted toward military purposes,” Mousavian told Al Jazeera.
Mousavian, however, does not view the phased release of frozen assets as leverage, but rather as a confidence-building measure.
“Iran has previously indicated flexibility on measures such as limits on enrichment levels, enhanced monitoring, and reducing or relocating portions of its enriched uranium stockpile, provided that its right to enrichment is formally recognized and that it receives tangible economic benefits,” he said.
The next 60 days may determine not only whether Washington and Tehran can agree on enrichment and sanctions relief, but whether a ceasefire designed to end a war can evolve into a broader agreement capable of preventing the next one. “Ironically, while the recent war has increased mistrust and political opposition on both sides, it may also have clarified the costs of conflict,” said Mousavian.