State media in Iran conveyed on Sunday that the nation’s parliament speaker views the current US nuclear proposal as insufficient, particularly due to its failure to include sanctions relief, thereby signaling a significant impediment in ongoing discussions. The speaker implied that sanctions relief is a non-negotiable point for Iran. Five rounds of Omani-mediated talks have taken place since April, aiming to revive a crucial agreement that previously constrained Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for eased sanctions, an accord the former US President unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a televised statement, asserted that “the US plan does not even mention the lifting of sanctions,” which he considered a manifestation of insincerity. He further accused the Americans of striving to enforce a “unilateral” agreement that Tehran adamantly refuses to accept. Ghalibaf advised the American leader to alter his approach if a legitimate deal is genuinely sought.
Following the fifth round of discussions on May 31, Iran acknowledged the receipt of “elements” of a US proposal. However, officials subsequently raised concerns regarding “ambiguities” within the draft document. The US and its Western allies have long expressed suspicions that the Islamic republic is endeavoring to acquire nuclear weapons, an accusation consistently refuted by Iran, which maintains its atomic program is exclusively for peaceful applications.
The central issues in the negotiations remain the removal of severe economic sanctions and the sensitive matter of uranium enrichment. Tehran insists on its right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, whereas the prior US administration considered any Iranian enrichment a prohibitive line. The present US administration, having reinstated its “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions, has consistently affirmed that uranium enrichment will not be permitted under any potential agreement. Iran’s chief negotiator recently stated that the country “will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium.” The international nuclear monitoring body reports Iran as the sole non-nuclear-weapon state globally enriching uranium up to 60%, still below the 90% threshold for a nuclear warhead. Iran’s supreme leader also rejected the most recent US proposal, stressing that enrichment is fundamental to Iran’s nuclear activities.