Iran poised to dismiss US nuclear proposal says Iranian diplomat

DUBAI - Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-long nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, slamming it as a non-starter that fails to address Tehrans interests and leaves Washingtons stance on uranium enrichment unchanged.

Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer, the senior diplomat, who is close to Irans negotiating team, told Reuters.

The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Omans Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

But after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trumps Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve the nuclear standoff, many issues remain unresolved.

Among clashing red lines is Irans rejection of a U.S. demand that Tehran commit to scrapping uranium enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs.

Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

In this proposal, the U.S. stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions, said the diplomat, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Tehran demands the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But for the U.S., the removal of nuclear-related sanctions should be done in phases.

Dozens of Iranian institutions vital to Irans economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been sanctioned since 2018 for, according to Washington, supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.

Trumps revival of a maximum pressure