Iran is preparing to reject a recent U.S. nuclear deal proposal, calling it a “non-starter” that fails to address key demands on uranium enrichment and sanctions relief, according to a senior Iranian diplomat quoted by Reuters on Monday.
The U.S. submitted a proposed nuclear deal over the weekend following seven weeks of negotiations with Iran.
While U.S. government officials and some news outlets, including The New York Times said the recent U.S. proposal calls for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment, Axios reported that the proposal “would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time.”
“Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer,” the diplomat told Reuters.
Iran insists any agreement must recognize its right to civilian nuclear enrichment and include clear, enforceable mechanisms for lifting economic sanctions.
“In this proposal, the U.S. stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions,” said the diplomat.
In a statement on Monday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran demands that the United States clarify exactly how sanctions will be lifted if the two sides are to reach a new agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.
“The American side has not yet provided the necessary clarity in this regard,” Baghaei said.
Meanwhile, the White House urged Iran to accept the deal. “President [Donald] Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb. Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
