Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon

TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it will soon present a counter-proposal on a nuclear deal with the United States, after it had described Washington’s offer as containing “ambiguities”.

Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

The longtime foes have been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran’s uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a “non-negotiable” right and Washington describing it as a “red line”.

On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran said it had received “elements” of a US proposal, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later saying the text contained “ambiguities”. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the US proposal as “lacking elements” reflective of the previous rounds of negotiations, without providing further details.

“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised,” Baqaei told a weekly press briefing. “It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity.”

Also on Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told state news agency IRNA that Iran’s response “is a framework for agreement”. “If we reach an understanding on this framework in principle, further extensive negotiations will begin on its details,” he added.