Iran says no sanctions relief in US nuclear proposal

Iran’s parliament speaker said Sunday that Washington’s latest nuclear proposal fails to include the lifting of sanctions, signaling a major setback in months of indirect talks between the longtime foes.

Speaking in a televised address, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of trying to impose a “unilateral” deal and warned that Iran would not accept an agreement that ignored its key demands.

“The US plan does not even mention the lifting of sanctions,” Ghalibaf said in the video aired on state television. “The delusional US president should know better and change his approach if he is really looking for a deal.”

Since April, Iran and the US have held five rounds of Omani-mediated talks aimed at reviving a nuclear agreement that once placed strict limits on Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for economic relief.

The original deal, struck in 2015, was abandoned by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Trump, now back in office, has revived a campaign of “maximum pressure” and vowed to block any uranium enrichment by Iran.

Iran said on May 31 it had received a draft of the US proposal but expressed concern about “ambiguities” in the text. The Islamic Republic has insisted it will not compromise on its right to enrich uranium under the terms of the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s lead negotiator, said the country “will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium.”

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, says Iran remains the only non-nuclear-weapons state enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a level close to weapons-grade.

On Wednesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed the US offer, calling uranium enrichment a “key” element of the country’s nuclear program.

The IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors is scheduled to begin a meeting in Vienna on Monday to review Iran’s nuclear activities.

On Sunday, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization warned it could scale back cooperation with the UN agency if the board adopts a critical resolution.

“Certainly, the IAEA should not expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue its broad and friendly cooperation,” said agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi.

Araghchi on Friday accused European countries of siding with the US at the IAEA and warned of consequences.

“Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

IAEA meeting

The IAEA’s latest quarterly report, released last week, cited a “general lack of cooperation” from Iran and raised concerns about undeclared nuclear materials.

Tehran dismissed the report as politically motivated and based on what it called “forged documents” provided by Israel, its longtime adversary.