US envoy Mike Waltz says Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal demanding upfront sanctions relief before talks
Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi counters US claims, offering to open Strait of Hormuz if funds are unfrozen and oil sales permitted
Tehran's 440kg 60% pure uranium stockpile remains key dispute, with Iran denying bomb plans and rejecting coercion
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said on Sunday that President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest deal proposal, saying, “They were asking for everything up front, with a promise that they would then talk.”
In an interview with CNN’s State of the Union, Waltz said that before negotiating the deal to end the war in West Asia, Iranians wanted sanctions relief and access to “billions in frozen assets”.
Waltz also claimed Iran refused to accept the United States ' offer to sell uranium to Tehran so that it can be used for civilian needs.
He added that the uranium agreement would have been similar to the one with the United Arab Emirates, which has “a peaceful programme, right there in their neighbourhood, and they abide by international law and inspection regimes”.
Waltz also clarified that Trump had raised the issue of reports that claimed China helped Iran in missile targeting of ships in the Strait of Hormuz and on US military bases in the region, with China's premier Xi Jinping.
Later in an interview on NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disagreed with Waltz's statement. He said Iran would be willing to open the strait if the US meets certain conditions, such as unfreezing Iranian funds and allowing the country to sell its oil.
“I am surprised that the ambassador is talking about a seven-day plan, as he has not read it,” Araghchi said. “Maybe he has not been given a copy.”
On Saturday, Trump claimed that he had rejected Iran’s plan to end the war, which was proposed at the recent UN General Assembly in New York. He argued that Iranians need a deal as they are losing the war badly.
Masoud Pezeshkian, president of Iran, said that his country was open to negotiations but they are not going to accept “bullying or coercion”.
In an interview with CBS, Pezeshkian said, “Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks. He further added that Iran has already made it clear that it will not pursue the making of an atomic bomb.
A major point of contention between the US and Iran comes down to one big question: what should happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium? Iran says its nuclear program is completely peaceful and is used only to generate electricity, treat illnesses, and run scientific experiments. It insists it has no plans to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran currently has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%. While electricity plants only need around 3.67% enriched uranium, nuclear weapons require around 90 percent. This puts Iran’s stockpile just a short technical step away from bomb-grade material.
Iran agreed to a deal in 2015 with the Obama administration to strictly limit how much uranium it could refine in exchange for the removal of sanctions. Iran claims that it was following the deal. However, Trump in his first term canceled that deal in 2018, saying it didn't do enough to restrict Iran.
