- Iran rejects uranium limits, keeping the US-Iran ceasefire under fresh pressure.
- Trump demands zero enrichment, but Tehran calls it a sovereign nuclear right.
- Oil and crypto markets stay alert as war risks threaten the ceasefire path.
US-Iran ceasefire efforts came under new strain on Thursday after Tehran rejected U.S. and Israeli demands to end uranium enrichment. The dispute kept the truce under pressure and exposed the main barrier to any broader peace deal.
Iran said enrichment is a sovereign right and not a concession it would trade away. That stance left little room for movement as both sides tried to keep the ceasefire from collapsing.
US-Iran Ceasefire Faces Fresh Diplomatic Strain
President Donald Trump said there must be no uranium enrichment under any future agreement. That demand placed the US-Iran ceasefire at the center of a direct clash over the nuclear issue.
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s nuclear energy agency, rejected any limit on the program. His remarks showed that the US-Iran ceasefire still rests on a dispute neither side has resolved.
The standoff now blocks progress toward a permanent agreement. The truce may have paused immediate attacks, but it has not removed the issue that drove the crisis.
Tensions also remained high across the region. U.S. and Iranian officials warned that strikes could resume if the deal breaks down, while uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz kept global markets alert.
Iran accused Washington of failing to uphold its side of the arrangement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States must choose between a ceasefire and continued war through Israeli action.
A separate dispute emerged over Lebanon. Iran and Pakistan said the truce included Lebanon, but the White House rejected that claim and said the ceasefire did not extend there.
That disagreement gained weight after reports said Trump privately urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back strikes in Lebanon. The request aimed to protect negotiations, yet Netanyahu publicly vowed to continue forceful attacks.
The Trump administration still pushed ahead with diplomacy. Vice President JD Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan for talks on Saturday, alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
War Headlines Keep Oil and Crypto on Edge
Oil traders remain focused on every update from the conflict. If the truce holds, pressure on crude prices may ease, and inflation fears may cool, but fresh fighting could quickly reverse that trend.
A new escalation would likely hit transport, trade, and investor confidence. It could also push governments and central banks to watch inflation risks more closely if energy costs rise again.
The US-Iran ceasefire has already shaped the global market response. Investors reacted positively to the pause because a wider war could disrupt oil flows, threaten shipping routes, and raise costs across major economies.
Crypto markets reacted to the same shift in sentiment. Bitcoin climbed above $72,000, and Ethereum moved above $2,200 as traders responded to lower immediate war risk and stronger demand for risk assets. That move shows how quickly crypto reacts to geopolitical headlines.
For now, the US-Iran ceasefire has created a narrow opening for talks. Still, unless Washington and Tehran narrow the gap on uranium enrichment, the truce may remain a short pause rather than a lasting peace.
Related: How Could the Iran–US War End? What Grok, Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT Say
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