TEHRAN: Iran on Monday said it will soon present a proposal on a nuclear deal with the United States after it had described Washington’s offer as containing “ambiguities”.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, during his weekly press briefing, noted that Iran will present its own proposal to the other side through Oman once it is finalised.
Baqaei added that any plan that does not take into account the rights and interests of the Iranian nation, whether in the field of nuclear energy or with regard to ensuring the effective lifting of oppressive sanctions, is unacceptable to the country and shows a lack of seriousness in the negotiations.
Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of negotiations since April to reach a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The two sides have been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran’s uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a “non-negotiable” right and Washington describing it as a “red line”.
On May 31, following the fifth round of talks, Iran announced it had received “elements” of a US proposal. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later stated that the text included several “ambiguities.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the US proposal as “lacking elements” reflective of the previous rounds of negotiations, without providing further details.
“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised,” Baqaei said.
“It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical, and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity.”
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US offer was “100 percent against” notions of independence and self-reliance.
He added that uranium enrichment was “key” to Iran’s nuclear programme and that the US “cannot have a say” on the issue.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a report criticising “less than satisfactory” cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites.
Iran has described the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on “forged documents” provided by Israel.
