Iran rejects any US deal that fails to protect national interests
Sanctions relief and $12bn in frozen assets remain key demands
US-Iran differences persist over nuclear issues and Strait of Hormuz control
Iran Says No Deal With US Unless 'Rights' Are Protected
For its part, Iran also made the non-negotiables clear. Sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets worth $12bn held in foreign banks are central to what Ghalibaf framed as Iranian rights under any deal
Summary
Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday said Tehran would not sign any agreement with the United States that failed to uphold what he described as the rights of the Iranian people.
"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, adding that negotiators "neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises."
The remarks came as both sides continued exchanging proposals over a framework to end the war that erupted on February 28 following US-Israel joint operation on the Islamic Republic. Over the weekend, The New York Times and Axios reported that US President Donald Trump had sent a revised draft back to Tehran with tougher terms, though the specific changes were not immediately made public.
However, AFP reported later that Trump, for his part, said he had secured a commitment from Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons — a claim Tehran repeatedly disputed.
For its part, Iran also made the non-negotiables clear. Sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets worth $12bn held in foreign banks are central to what Ghalibaf framed as Iranian rights under any deal. Tehran also views its oversight of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — which it has kept under tight control since the war began — as a sovereign prerogative it will not relinquish at Washington's insistence.
The exchange of toughened proposals and Tehran's public posture suggest that despite weeks of diplomatic activity, the two sides remain some distance apart on the terms that would allow a formal end to the conflict.
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