Iran’s parliament speaker revealed on Sunday that the newest US nuclear proposal does not include the lifting of sanctions, a key issue that has seemingly stalled negotiations, according to state media. This reaffirms Iran’s firm stance that both sanctions relief and the right to enrichment are paramount. The two long-standing adversaries have conducted five rounds of talks, facilitated by Oman since April, with the aim of restoring a pivotal agreement that had previously restricted Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for economic concessions. That original accord was abandoned by the former US President in 2018.
In a televised address, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that “the US plan does not even mention the lifting of sanctions,” which he perceived as a clear indication of bad faith. He further accused the Americans of attempting to dictate a “unilateral” agreement that Tehran would not accept. Ghalibaf urged the American president to alter his strategy if a sincere deal is truly sought.
On May 31, following the fifth round of discussions, Iran acknowledged the receipt of “elements” of a US proposal, though officials later voiced reservations about “ambiguities” within the draft. The US and its Western allies have consistently accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran has vehemently denied, asserting its atomic program is exclusively for peaceful applications.
The core disagreements in these discussions revolve around the cessation of severe economic sanctions and the sensitive matter of uranium enrichment. Tehran asserts its entitlement to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Conversely, the prior US administration deemed any Iranian enrichment a critical boundary. The present US administration, which has reinstated its “maximum pressure” strategy, has consistently maintained that uranium enrichment will not be permitted under any prospective deal. Iran’s chief negotiator recently reiterated that the country would not seek permission to continue enriching uranium. The international atomic energy agency indicates Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state globally to enrich uranium up to 60%, still short of the weapon-grade 90%. Iran’s supreme leader has also rejected the latest US offer, highlighting enrichment as crucial to their nuclear initiatives.