Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon
Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The longtime foes have been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a "non-negotiable" right and Washington describing it as a "red line".
On May 31, after the fifth round talks, Iran said it had received "elements" of a US proposal, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying later the text contained "ambiguities".
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the US proposal as "lacking elements" reflective of the previous rounds of negotiations, without providing further details.
"We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised," Baqaei told a weekly press briefing.
"It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical, and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity."
Iran's parliament speaker has said the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions -- a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years.
'Strategic mistake'
Trump, who has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions on Iran since taking office in January, has repeatedly said it will not be allowed any uranium enrichment under a potential deal.
On Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US offer was "100 percent against" notions of independence and self-reliance.
He insisted that uranium enrichment was "key" to Iran's nuclear programme and that the US "cannot have a say" on the issue.
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.
Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes
The United Nations nuclear watchdog will convene a Board of Governors meeting from June 9-13 in Vienna to discuss Iran's nuclear activities.
The meeting comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report criticising "less than satisfactory" cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites.
Iran has criticised the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on "forged documents" provided by its arch foe Israel.
Britain, France and Germany, the three European countries who were party to the 2015 deal, are currently weighing whether to trigger the sanctions "snapback" mechanism in the accord.
The mechanism would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance -- an option that expires in October.
On Friday, Araghchi warned European powers against backing a draft resolution at the IAEA accusing Tehran of non-compliance, calling it a "strategic mistake".
On Monday, Baqaei said Iran has "prepared and formulated a series of steps and measures" if the resolution passed.
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Under SAFE, governments can exceed this figure by 1.5% per year, provided that the amount is spent solely on defence. More than half of member states have requested activation from the European Commission. To receive loans, governments must meet certain conditions: 65% of the value of each piece of military equipment must be produced in one of the 27 EU member states, Ukraine and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The remaining 35% can also come from any third country in the world. The common procurement can include EU candidate countries, such as the Western Balkans, and third countries with bilateral security and defence partnerships, such as Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. However, the EU remains highly dependent on weapons purchased from the US and the increased investment could be a clear indication of the bloc's commitment to becoming more autonomous, something that President Donald Trump has demanded in the framework of NATO. "I'm optimistic that the President of the US will realise what we are now starting to do," said Strack-Zimmermann. The EU is planning to raise more funds, with the European Commission proposing to use part of the Cohesion Funds, which are intended for regional development. The European Investment Bank will also try to mobilise private funds for this area for the first time. Watch the video here! Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva Content production: Pilar Montero López Video production: Zacharia Vigneron Graphism: Loredana Dumitru Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones A second group of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were returned home on Tuesday as part of a deal made during direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June. The exchange began on Monday for soldiers aged between 18-25, focusing on seriously wounded and sick Ukrainian service personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, without specifying the exact number. Among them were soldiers captured over three years ago in the battle for Mariupol, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram. All of those freed had severe injuries and illnesses, including amputated limbs and vision problems, it said. Amina Ivanchenko was reunited Monday with her husband, a POW for 18 months, in the initial release. She said was grateful to Ukrainian officials for supporting her. "My struggle was much easier thanks to them. Our country will definitely return everyone. Glory to Ukraine! Thank you!" Anastasia Nahorna waited in the Chernyhiv region to see if her husband, who has been missing for eight months, was among those being released in the latest swap. "This pain is more unbearable every day," she said. "I really want to hear some news, because since the moment of his disappearance, unfortunately, there has been no information. Is he alive? or maybe in captivity? Has someone seen him?" Russia's Defence Ministry said it had also received a second group of released soldiers as part of the deal. The Russian servicemen arrived on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers. All servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, the statement added. A similar exchange was announced for the bodies of fallen soldiers held by both sides, although no schedule has been released. Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no significant breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap prisoners as well as thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.
