Iran says major differences with Washington persist despite revised US proposal

TEHRAN, May 19 (YPA) – An official close to the Iranian negotiating team said on Monday that substantial differences still exist between the Iranian and U.S. proposals, despite amendments included in Washington’s latest draft, blaming the impasse on what Tehran considers “unrealistic American demands.”

Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, the official stated that the United States continues to put forward conditions viewed by Tehran as excessive, stressing that Iran will not retreat from what it considers its core principles regarding ending the war and protecting the rights of the Iranian people.

The official also stressed that frozen Iranian assets must be returned through clear and binding guarantees, arguing that “paper promises” are insufficient. Despite what were described as positive indications, disagreements reportedly remain over the mechanisms and guarantees tied to the release of the funds.

Furthermore, Tehran remains committed to seeking compensation for what it describes as military aggression against Iran, the official affirmed. While Washington has discussed the creation of a “development and reconstruction fund,” the proposal was said to fall short of Iran’s expectations both financially and politically.

Regarding the nuclear issue, the official argued that U.S. demands are politically motivated and inconsistent with Iran’s rights, accusing Washington of attempting to link negotiations aimed at ending the war with Iran’s nuclear file—an approach Tehran rejects.

The official reiterated that Iran would not accept any agreement in which ending the war is conditioned on additional nuclear concessions.

The statement concluded by reaffirming Iran’s longstanding position that it has never sought to develop nuclear weapons, describing U.S. accusations as “political pretexts and deception,” while noting that this stance was reaffirmed in Tehran’s latest proposal.

AA