Top negotiator: No deal with US until Iranian rights secured
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that Iran would not agree to any deal with the United States to end the war unless it fully secures Iranian rights.
During a virtual session of the parliament, the top lawmaker said “words and promises” of the United States cannot be trusted.
“We will not approve any agreement until we are sure that we have upheld the rights of the Iranian nation.”
His remarks came as reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran to end the ongoing tensions in the region, that began after the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Iran was already in negotiations with the US about the fate of its nuclear program when the US and Israel launched air and missile strikes.
And, while Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear program is for purely civilian ends, the US and its Western allies have long claimed that it aims to develop a weapon.
The New York Times and Axios reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a “tougher” new framework to be considered by Iran, though details remain unclear.
Trump has said his priorities include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and re-opening the Hormuz shipping lane, over which Iran has sought to impose control since the war began.
According to Tasnim news agency, “exchanges between Iran and the United States regarding the text of a possible memorandum of understanding are ongoing, with both parties regularly proposing amendments.
“No agreement has yet been finalized, and it is possible that any agreement will be rejected,” it said.
Talks between Iran and the US, mediated by Pakistan and facilitated by Qatar, are continuing based on Iran’s 14-point proposal. The discussions aim to produce a memorandum to end the war, lift a US blockade on Iranian ports, and secure the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The wide-ranging strikes on Iran sparked conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US military bases in the Persian Gulf, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas travels.
Shortly after a ceasefire was agreed in early April, the US established a blockade of Iranian ports which Trump says will remain “in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”