The United States and Iran appear once again to be on the brink of an agreement to end their months-long conflict, with mediators and officials pointing to tangible progress.

Experts say what is currently on the table is not a comprehensive peace deal but a short memorandum of understanding — a first step designed to halt escalation and reopen negotiations.

Speaking with DW, former Middle East advisor and negotiator for the US State Department, Aaron David Miller, said: "What you've done is buy yourself a ticket, on both sides, to a negotiation that is going to be long and tedious." 

At the heart of the talks are deeply complex issues: Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, sanctions relief, control over the Strait of Hormuz, and broader questions of regional security.

"All of these issues contain a universe of complexity and detail that will have to be ironed out," Miller said.