Iran parliament speaker: US nuclear deal proposal lacks sanctions relief

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced on Sunday that the latest United States proposal for a nuclear deal fails to include the lifting of sanctions, signaling a significant roadblock in ongoing negotiations, AFP reported, citing Iranian state media.

“The US plan does not even mention the lifting of sanctions,” Ghalibaf stated in a video aired on Iranian state TV, accusing Washington of dishonesty and attempting to impose a “unilateral” agreement.

He added, “The delusional US president should know better and change his approach if he is really looking for a deal.”

Since April, Tehran and Washington have engaged in five rounds of Omani-mediated talks, aiming to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, from which US President Donald Trump withdrew during his first term in 2018. Key sticking points in the negotiations remain the removal of economic sanctions and Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

On May 31, following the fifth round of talks, Iran acknowledged receiving “elements” of a US proposal but subsequently criticized “ambiguities” within the draft.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last week explicitly rejected the latest US proposal, emphasizing that enrichment is “key” to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s top negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reiterated Tehran’s stance, asserting, “Iran will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium.”

Meanwhile, amid escalating tensions, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran warned Sunday of potential reductions in cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog if a resolution is adopted against it.

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

His statement came as the IAEA Board of Governors is scheduled to convene in Vienna starting Monday to discuss Iran’s nuclear activities. During that meeting, Western nations are poised to introduce a resolution declaring Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations for the first time in two decades.