Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has seen some of the first details of a U.S.-drafted proposal for a new deal to restrain his country’s nuclear ambitions.
The Iranian official did not reveal any specific details of the plan, but said it “will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests, and rights of the people of Iran.”
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said on June 4 that the U.S. proposal “contradicts our nation’s belief in self-reliance and the principle of ‘We Can’.”
“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” Khamenei said.
On May 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff had relayed “a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime,” adding “it’s in their best interest to accept it.”
Iranian leaders have said they are not pursuing nuclear weapons but continue to enrich uranium at high levels of purity.
President Donald Trump has maintained that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and is seeking strong safeguards against such a possibility. U.S. and Iranian negotiators have appeared to disagree over whether Iran can continue to enrich its own uranium.
The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew the United States from in 2018, had capped Iran’s uranium enrichment at about 3.67 percent purity—enough to power nuclear reactors. One of Trump’s criticisms was that the deal only delayed Iran reaching the 90 percent uranium enrichment it would need for weapons-grade fissile material.
Since the U.S. withdrawal from the deal, Iran has steadily increased its uranium enrichment.
In her statement, Leavitt reiterated Trump’s position that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons but did not provide further details about the latest proposal Washington had relayed to Tehran.
Araghchi has led the Iranian delegation through five rounds of nuclear talks with the United States since April 12, while Witkoff has led the U.S. delegation. Three of these rounds of talks have taken place in Oman, and two have taken place in Italy.
The U.S. proposal came through ahead of the anticipated announcement of a sixth round of talks. The parties have yet to announce the date and venue for this next round of talks.
Following the last round of U.S.–Iran talks in Rome on May 23, Araghchi said both sides had reached “a better and clearer understanding of our positions” and “are taking the raised proposals and ideas to their capitals for further review.”
