Iran is set to reject the US nuclear proposal, according to an Iranian diplomat

Iran is set to dismiss a U.S. proposal aimed at resolving a long-standing nuclear conflict, according to an Iranian diplomat on Monday, who criticized it as a “non-starter” that does not cater to Tehran’s interests and keeps Washington’s position on uranium enrichment unchanged.

“Iran is preparing a negative reply to the U.S. proposal, which may be seen as a rejection of the U.S. offer,” the senior diplomat, who is affiliated with Iran’s negotiating team, informed Reuters.

The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear agreement was delivered to Iran on Saturday by Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was visiting Tehran briefly and has been facilitating nuclear discussions between Tehran and Washington.

However, after five rounds of negotiations involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to address the nuclear impasse, numerous issues remain unresolved.

One of the main points of contention is Iran’s refusal to comply with a U.S. demand to abandon uranium enrichment, which is seen as a potential route to developing nuclear weapons. Tehran asserts that its goal is to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful applications and has consistently denied Western allegations of pursuing nuclear armament.

“In this proposal, the U.S. position on enrichment within Iranian territory remains the same, and there is no definitive clarification regarding the lifting of sanctions,” stated the diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

Tehran insists on the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed restrictions that hinder its oil-dependent economy. Conversely, the U.S. maintains that the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions should occur gradually.

Since 2018, numerous Iranian entities crucial to the nation’s economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have faced sanctions for allegedly “supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.”

Trump’s reintroduction of a “maximum pressure” strategy against Tehran since his return to the White House in January has involved stricter sanctions and threats to bomb Iran if ongoing negotiations do not result in an agreement. During his first term, Trump abandoned Tehran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with six nations in 2018 and reinstated sanctions that have devastated Iran’s economy.

In response, Tehran has swiftly breached the limitations set by the 2015 nuclear agreement regarding its nuclear program. The 2015 accord mandated that Iran take measures to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from U.S., EU, and U.N. economic sanctions.

According to a diplomat, the evaluation from “Iran’s nuclear negotiations committee,” overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is that the U.S. proposal is “entirely one-sided” and does not align with Tehran’s interests.

Consequently, the diplomat stated that Tehran views this proposal as a “non-starter” and believes it attempts to impose a “bad deal” on Iran through unreasonable demands.

Last week, two Iranian officials informed Reuters that Iran might halt uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian assets and acknowledges Tehran’s right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes as part of a “political deal” that could pave the way for a more comprehensive nuclear agreement.