Iranian media reported on Sunday that the United States had "offered no tangible concessions" in its latest response to Tehran's proposed agenda for negotiations aimed at ending the war that began with joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28 and has remained paused since April 28.
US Conditions for Negotiations
According to the Fars news agency, Washington presented a list of five conditions, including that Tehran would keep only one nuclear site operational, transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US, and not expect the release of "even 25%" of Iran's frozen assets abroad. The US also demanded no compensation for damage inflicted on Iran during the war and that hostilities on all fronts cease at the start of negotiations.
Iran's Counterproposal
In its proposal, Iran called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Israel's campaign in Lebanon, as well as a halt to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports that has been in place since April 13. Lebanon was drawn into the conflict after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, entered the war following the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of hostilities.
Tehran also called for the lifting of all US sanctions and the release of its assets frozen abroad under longstanding American sanctions, according to the Iranian foreign ministry during a press conference last week. The Iranian proposal emphasized that Tehran would continue to control the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor that it has largely kept closed since the start of the war. Around 20% of the world's oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Warnings of Retaliation
Iranian armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi on Sunday warned US President Donald Trump against launching fresh attacks on Iran. "The desperate American president should know that if his threats are carried out and Islamic Iran is attacked again, his country's resources and military will be confronted with unprecedented, offensive, surprising and tumultuous scenarios," he said, according to state television.
Similarly, deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei warned against targeting Iranian oil infrastructure. "If Iranian oil is harmed, Iran will take measures that will prevent the United States and the world from accessing oil from the region for an extended period," news agency ISNA quoted Hajibabaei as saying.
