A source involved in negotiations between Iran and the United States, mediated by Qatar, told Channel 13 News that the sides remain far from reaching an agreement.
According to the source, the talks are moving more in the direction of a clash than a deal.
"The sides are still closer to war than to an agreement," the source said, adding that both sides "have become more rigid."
Meanwhile, Arab countries continue talks with Iran in an effort to reach understandings on expanding maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, Reuters reported that US and Iranian negotiators meeting in New York examined a step-by-step arrangement aimed at easing the conflict, with Tehran potentially reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its economic blockade.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the key point of leverage between the two sides. Washington is seeking the restoration of unrestricted shipping through the strategic waterway, while Tehran is pressing for relief from the blockade and could also seek access to frozen Iranian assets.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that a phased agreement appeared to offer the most realistic route forward. "One way forward would be to solve the crisis in stages. The first would be to end the blockade and reopen Hormuz," the official said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The negotiations remain complicated by reluctance on both sides to give up their principal bargaining tools before receiving concessions in return. Sources cited by Reuters said the challenge is not only reaching an arrangement, but ensuring that any commitments are sufficiently lasting for both Washington and Tehran to rely on them.