Trump says he wants to resume Iran nuclear talks, and Tehran has another offer
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the U.S. proposal will not be accepted and indicated that a new offer will be sent
President Donald Trump stated that Iran nuclear talks would continue, while Iran announced that it has a counterproposal for a new nuclear deal between the two countries. Trump stated that the first deal was "unacceptable" and made it clear that the two nations remained at odds.
"They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don’t want to give up what they need to give up," said the U.S. president at a press conference at the White House. "They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment." The two countries are in disagreement over uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.
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Iran's Response
A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, responded to Trump's remarks, stating that the next round of Iran-U.S. negotiations is scheduled for Sunday in Muscat. He also affirmed that his country is preparing a counteroffer to the Trump administration's proposal.
"The U.S. proposal is not acceptable to us. It was not the result of previous rounds of negotiations. We will present our own proposal to the other side via Oman once it is finalized. This proposal is reasonable, logical, and balanced," said Baghaei. He also focused on the lifting of sanctions.
Esmaeil Baghei, Iranian Foreign Ministry, did not confirm a date for the meeting, but emphasized in a new offered. Photo: AFP News
Trump's Call with Netanyahu
Trump said that Iran was the main topic during his phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister. According to Netanyahu's office, the talks with Iran will continue at the end of the week. However, the Iranian government has not yet confirmed the meeting.
Iran and the U.S. have been at odds since Trump's first term, when he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear pact between the Middle Eastern country and six powers. The administration also reimposed sanctions that affected Iran's economy. In response, the country escalated its uranium enrichment far beyond the limits set by the pact.
