Iran points to its rejected Hormuz proposal as proof it has put a plan on the table and says the next move belongs to Washington.
Iran has no intention of arranging talks in Qatar between Vice President JD Vance and Mohsen Rezaei, who heads its Supreme National Security Council, unless Washington first satisfies Tehran’s requirements, the Tasnim news agency reported, citing a source in Iran’s security establishment.
The statement came after Turkish intelligence head Ibrahim Kalin said earlier on Monday that mediators from Qatar were working to bring Vance and Rezaei together sometime next week.
According to Tasnim’s source, Tehran’s stance is unchanged: no negotiations will happen until the US takes concrete steps under Iran’s seven-point framework.
Enriched uranium transfer ‘off table’, US must honor commitments: Spox
Iran has shortened the deadline for implementing its proposal from seven days to two, demonstrating its seriousness and good faith, Foreign Ministry spokesperson and member of Iran’s negotiating delegation Esmaeil Baghaei stated earlier today.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Baghaei pointed to clear confusion within the US administration over which officials are authorized to negotiate with Tehran. He said some US officials were advancing contradictory demands based on domestic political calculations and the 2028 presidential election, while pursuing a policy of “moving the goalposts” by repeatedly changing their demands.
He stressed that Tehran has communicated its proposal transparently through mediators while maintaining contact through direct meetings and phone calls. Iran remains committed to a diplomatic solution, he said, without compromising its national interests and security.
Transferring enriched uranium out of Iran ‘off table’
On the nuclear file, Baghaei told Al Mayadeen that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors visited Iran around 10 days ago to conduct routine inspections limited to the Bushehr nuclear power plant and facilities that remain accessible.
He explained that other facilities have sustained damage, highlighting the lack of any protocol that currently allows inspectors to examine damaged sites under the prevailing circumstances.
“The International Atomic Energy Agency has no mechanism or protocol for inspecting damaged nuclear facilities under the current circumstances”, he said.
Moreover, Baghaei categorically rejected transferring enriched uranium out of Iran, stressing that the option was “off the table” and asserting that there is no justification for such a move.
Strait of Hormuz security linked to US commitments
Regarding maritime navigation, Baghaei said Tehran was currently focused on restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz under its own clearly defined conditions, stressing that Iran’s recent measures demonstrate its good faith and regional responsibility.
The Iranian spokesperson also stressed that Washington’s implementation of the provisions of the June 28 memorandum of understanding, which incorporates most of Iran’s demands, would pave the way for moving to the next stage of negotiations.
Araghchi tells US to take its pick: Agreement or hellfire
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s proposal giving the United States two days to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war remains in place, urging the White House to decide how it intends to proceed.
In a post on X, Araghchi said, “American voters have made their choice, and it is time for the White House to make its choice.”
He called on Washington to meet Iran’s requirements, including ending the war on all fronts, saying, “Meet the requirements, including end the war on all fronts, and you will see the results.”
“If you choose war, you will face our alert and battle-hardened fighters rain down hell,” he added.
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