Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will soon present a counterproposal for a nuclear deal to the United States via mediator Oman. According to Esmaeil Baghaei, the ministry’s spokesman, the US proposal lacks essential elements discussed in previous rounds of negotiations and fails to include the lifting of sanctions, a key demand for Tehran.
“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through Oman once it is finalized,” Baghaei said, criticizing the US proposal as not reflective of the previous discussions. The US proposal, described as a series of bullet points, calls for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment and proposes a regional consortium to produce nuclear power involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab states, as well as the United States.
The Iranian government has been reeling under the weight of US sanctions, and the lifting of these sanctions is a crucial aspect of the negotiations. Tehran defends its uranium enrichment as a “nonnegotiable” right, while Washington describes it as a “red line”. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has already dismissed the US proposal as against Iran’s interests, pledging to continue enrichment on Iranian soil.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will convene a Board of Governors meeting to discuss Iran’s nuclear activities, following a report criticizing Tehran’s cooperation. Iran has criticized the report as unbalanced, saying it relied on “forged documents” provided by Israel. The timing of the US proposal coincides with a surge in Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, with the IAEA warning that Tehran is approaching weapons-grade nuclear material.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Iran to accept the US offer, calling it “in Tehran’s best interest” and emphasizing President Trump’s firm stance: Iran must never acquire a nuclear bomb. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would “respond to the US proposal in line with the principles, national interests, and rights of the people of Iran”.