Pakistan Reports US and Iran 'Closing In' on One-Page Memo to End War — Nuclear Question Deferred

Pakistan's mediators reported on May 6, 2026 — Day 68 — that the United States and Iran were 'closing in on a one-page memo' to formally end the war, according to Axios. The reported framework was deliberately narrow in scope: rather than a comprehensive peace treaty or nuclear agreement, the one-page memo was designed to cover only the ceasefire terms and the Hormuz access arrangement — deferring the nuclear question entirely to a later diplomatic phase. Pakistan's PM Ishaq Dar described the talks at an 'advanced stage' and expressed optimism they would conclude 'very soon,' voicing hope for an 'early resolution.' The one-page memo approach represented a significant scaling back of ambitions from Iran's 14-point proposal (rejected by Trump as 'not satisfying' on May 2) and the US's original demand for a comprehensive nuclear deal as a precondition. If finalized, a one-page memo would be the first formal written agreement between the US and Iran since the February 28 outbreak of hostilities. However, significant gaps remained: Iran continued to insist that any durable agreement must address reparations and international guarantees against future attacks, while Trump's simultaneous escalation threats on May 6 showed the diplomatic window was not unlimited. The Arms Control Association assessed US negotiators as 'ill-prepared for serious nuclear talks,' suggesting the nuclear deferral in the memo may simply be kicking the hardest issue down the road.