Latest news with #WestAsiaNewsAgency
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Iran's Khamenei dismisses US nuclear proposal, vows to keep enriching uranium
FILE PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo DUBAI - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was "100%" against the country's interests, rejecting a central U.S. demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman, which has mediated talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. After five rounds of talks, several hard-to-bridge issues remain, including Iran's insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and Tehran's refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium - possible raw material for nuclear bombs. Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, said nothing about halting the talks, but said the U.S. proposal "contradicts our nation's belief in self-reliance and the principle of 'We Can'". "Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear programme and the enemies have focused on the enrichment," Khamenei said during a televised speech marking the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. "The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests ... The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?," he added. Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. 'MAXIMUM PRESSURE' Reuters reported on Monday that Tehran was poised to reject the U.S. proposal as a "non-starter" that failed to soften Washington's stance on uranium enrichment or to address Tehran's interests. Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran since his return to the White House in January, which included tightening sanctions and threatening to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal. Trump wants to curtail Tehran's potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. Iran's clerical establishment, for its part, wants to be rid of devastating sanctions. During his first term, Trump ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact's limits. Iran's clerical establishment is grappling with multiple crises — energy and water shortages, a plunging currency, losses among regional militia proxies in conflicts with Israel, and rising fears of an Israeli strike on its nuclear sites — all intensified by Trump's hardline stance. Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Tehran has vowed a harsh response. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Iran poised to dismiss US nuclear proposal, says Iranian diplomat
FILE PHOTO: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is welcomed by an unidentified Omani official upon his arrival in Muscat, Oman, May 11, 2025. Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Atomic symbol, USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo FILE PHOTO: An Iranian newspaper with a cover photo of Iran, Oman and U.S. Flags, is seen in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo DUBAI - Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-long nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, slamming it as a "non-starter" that fails to address Tehran's interests and leaves Washington's stance on uranium enrichment unchanged. "Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer," the senior diplomat, who is close to Iran's negotiating team, told Reuters. The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. But after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve the nuclear standoff, many issues remain unresolved. Among clashing red lines is Iran's rejection of a U.S. demand that Tehran commit to scrapping uranium enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. "In this proposal, the U.S. stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions," said the diplomat, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Tehran demands the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But for the U.S., the removal of nuclear-related sanctions should be done in phases. Dozens of Iranian institutions vital to Iran's economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been sanctioned since 2018 for, according to Washington, "supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation". Trump's revival of a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran since his return to the White House in January has included tightened sanctions and threats to bomb Iran if current negotiations yield no deal. During his first term, Trump in 2018 ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. In return, Tehran has rapidly violated the 2015 nuclear pact's curbs on its nuclear programme. The 2015 deal required Iran to take steps to restrict its nuclear program in return for relief from U.S., EU and U.N. economic sanctions. The diplomat said the assessment of "Iran's nuclear negotiations committee", under the supervision of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was that the U.S. proposal is "completely one-sided" and cannot serve Tehran's interests. Therefore, the diplomat said, Tehran considers this proposal a "non-starter" and believes it unilaterally attempts to impose a "bad deal" on Iran through excessive demands. Two Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Exclusive-Iran poised to dismiss US nuclear proposal, says Iranian diplomat
FILE PHOTO: An Iranian newspaper with a cover photo of Iran, Oman and U.S. Flags, is seen in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-long nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, slamming it as a "non-starter" that fails to address Tehran's interests and leaves Washington's stance on uranium enrichment unchanged. "Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer," the senior diplomat, who is close to Iran's negotiating team, told Reuters. The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. But after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve the nuclear standoff, many issues remain unresolved. Among clashing red lines is Iran's rejection of a U.S. demand that Tehran commit to scrapping uranium enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. "In this proposal, the U.S. stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions," said the diplomat, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Tehran demands the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But for the U.S., the removal of nuclear-related sanctions should be done in phases. Dozens of Iranian institutions vital to Iran's economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been sanctioned since 2018 for, according to Washington, "supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation". Trump's revival of a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran since his return to the White House in January has included tightened sanctions and threats to bomb Iran if current negotiations yield no deal. During his first term, Trump in 2018 ditched Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. In return, Tehran has rapidly violated the 2015 nuclear pact's curbs on its nuclear programme. The 2015 deal required Iran to take steps to restrict its nuclear program in return for relief from U.S., EU and U.N. economic sanctions. The diplomat said the assessment of "Iran's nuclear negotiations committee", under the supervision of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was that the U.S. proposal is "completely one-sided" and cannot serve Tehran's interests. Therefore, the diplomat said, Tehran considers this proposal a "non-starter" and believes it unilaterally attempts to impose a "bad deal" on Iran through excessive demands. Two Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William Maclean)
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Iran may pause enrichment for US nod on nuclear rights, release of frozen funds, Iranian sources say
An Iranian newspaper with a cover photo of Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, is seen in Tehran, Iran, April 12, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/ File Photo Iran may pause enrichment for US nod on nuclear rights, release of frozen funds, Iranian sources say DUBAI - Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, two Iranian official sources said. The sources, close to the negotiating team, said on Wednesday a "political understanding with the United States could be reached soon" if Washington accepted Tehran's conditions. One of the sources said the matter "has not been discussed yet" during the talks with the United States. The sources told Reuters that under this arrangement, Tehran would halt uranium enrichment for a year, ship part of its highly enriched stock abroad or convert it into fuel plates for civilian nuclear purposes. A temporary pause to enrichment would be a way to overcome an impasse over clashing red lines after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme. U.S. officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran - to replace a failed 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers - must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, saying it wants nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected Washington's demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national sovereignty. In Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters the proposal aired by the Iranian sources had not been brought to the negotiating table to date. The U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this article. The Iranian sources said Tehran would not agree to dismantling of its nuclear programme or infrastructure or sealing of its nuclear installations as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Instead, they said, Trump must publicly recognise Iran's sovereign right to enrichment as a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and authorise a release of Iranian oil revenues frozen by sanctions, including $6 billion in Qatar. Iran has not yet been able to access the $6 billion parked in a Qatar bank that was unfrozen under a U.S.-Iranian prisoner swap in 2023, during U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. "Tehran wants its funds to be transferred to Iran with no conditions or limitations. If that means lifting some sanctions, then it should be done too," the second source said. The sources said the political agreement would give the current nuclear diplomacy a greater chance to yield results by providing more time to hammer out a consensus on hard-to-bridge issues needed for a permanent treaty. "The idea is not to reach an interim deal, it would (rather) be a political agreement to show both sides are seeking to defuse tensions," said the second Iranian source. Western diplomats are sceptical of chances for U.S.-Iranian reconciliation on enrichment. They warn that a temporary political agreement would face resistance from European powers unless Iran displayed a serious commitment to scaling back its nuclear activity with verification by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Even if gaps over enrichment narrow, lifting sanctions quickly would remain difficult. The U.S. favours phasing out nuclear-related sanctions while Iran demands immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. Asked whether critical U.S. sanctions, reimposed since 2018 when Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 pact, could be rescinded during an enrichment pause, the first source said: "There have been discussions over how to lift the sanctions during the five rounds of talks." Dozens of Iranian institutions vital to Iran's economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been sanctioned since 2018 for, according to Washington, "supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation". Iran's clerical establishment is grappling with mounting crises - energy and water shortages, a plunge in the value of its currency, losses among regional militia proxies in wars with Israel, and growing fears of an Israeli strike on its nuclear sites - all exacerbated by Trump's hardline stance. Trump's revival of a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran since he re-entered the White House in January has included tightened sanctions and threats to bomb Iran if current negotiations yield no deal. Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Tehran's leadership "has no better option" than a new deal to avert economic chaos at home that could jeopardise clerical rule. Nationwide protests over social repression and economic hardship in recent years met with harsh crackdowns but exposed the Islamic Republic's vulnerability to public discontent and drew more Western sanctions over human rights violations. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
1727523993-0%2FCopy-of-Untitled-(7)1727523993-0.png&w=3840&q=100)
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Khamenei says talks with US unlikely to 'lead to any outcome'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian and his cabinet in Tehran, Iran, August 27, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Listen to article Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that nuclear talks with the United States were unlikely to yield any results. "We don't think it will lead to any outcome. We don't know what will happen," said Khamenei during a speech, adding that denying Iran's right to enrich uranium was "a big mistake". "The American side involved in these indirect negotiations should refrain from speaking nonsense," said Khamenei. Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi said "enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal". "If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome," he said in a post on X. Iranian diplomats have said Tehran would be open to temporary restrictions on how much uranium it enriches and to what level. Araghchi on Tuesday criticised "positions from the United States that were inconsistent with any logic and reason". Iran's top diplomat said these stances "have caused serious disruptions in the negotiation process." "As a result, no date has been set for the next round of talks, and the matter remains under review," he added. On Sunday, Araghchi said Iran has been observing "dissonance ... between what our US interlocutors say in public and in private." On Friday, Iran held parallel talks with Britain, France and Germany -- all parties to the 2015 deal.
