Tehran media float 'halt for halt' formula as Trump says deal in sight

The softened tone of Tehran’s statements on nuclear negotiations with the United States, along with unprecedented remarks from media commentators, suggests Iran may be open to a "suspension for suspension" agreement with Washington.

Except for state television, the hardline daily Kayhan, and a few low-profile newspapers, most Iranian media outlets this week have discussed “positive signals from Washington” or even “an imminent final deal.”

Outlets frequently cite what is seen in Tehran as optimism in US coverage.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he advised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch a strike on Iran, saying a deal with Tehran was “very close.”

Tehran-based Rouydad24 noted that even traditionally skeptical figures—such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief Rafael Grossi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov—have acknowledged the possibility of a US-Iran agreement within weeks.

Early signs of a shift

The clearest signal yet of Iran’s openness came on Wednesday, when prominent lawmaker and National Security Committee member Abolfazl Zohrehvand told the conservative Nameh News that Tehran could suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for partial sanctions relief.

“Omani officials are telling us: Let’s try this,” Zohrevand said, recalling Iran’s acceptance of a similar deal under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the early 2000s.

President Masoud Pezeshkian also praised Oman’s mediation role during his visit to Muscat on Tuesday, calling the country the only active intermediary that Iran trusts—another nod to potential flexibility.

This comes along with hints that Tehran “may reconsider its longstanding ban on US nuclear inspectors,” as part of an agreement with Washington, according to Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami.

Interim deal to avoid war

The pro-reform daily Arman Melli highlighted the apparent shift in tone, suggesting that a “halt for halt” arrangement might be in the works—one often called an “interim agreement” by officials, perhaps to make it more palatable for hardliners.

But nothing is done until it is done, the paper warned.

“Making a deal is as likely as is a sudden change that might stop all negotiations without much explanation,” it wrote, asserting that technical-level discussions are ongoing alongside secret bilateral talks.

Prominent reformist figure Mohammad Sadeq Javadi Hesar told Etemad newspaper that the government’s flexibility aligns with Iran’s national interests.

Likewise, reformist commentator Hamid Reza Jalaipour told Khabar Online that Iran cannot strengthen ties with Russia and China without first mending its fraught relationship with the US.

He predicted that a deal could marginalize the hardline minority who push anti-American rhetoric, call for Israel’s destruction, and stricter control at home..

Tehran, he noted, appears to have shifted its motto from “no negotiations, no war” to “negotiations to avoid war.”