The President of the United States stated that his administration will not allow any attempt by Iran to enrich uranium amid extremely tough negotiations
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated that the official response will arrive soon, although he hinted at the possibility of keeping the dialogue open. Meanwhile, Washington insists that the proposal is "detailed and acceptable," and warns that time for an agreement is running out.
White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, reaffirmed that Trump will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and that accepting the agreement would be "the best thing for Iran."
President Donald Trump has reiterated his goal of reaching a denuclearization agreement with Iran, stating that "Iran will not be able to enrich any type of uranium under a possible nuclear deal."
This statement reaffirms the hardline stance adopted by his administration since returning to the White House in January, in which he seeks to totally and permanently limit Iran's nuclear capability, claiming the clear necessity of preventing an arms race in the Middle East and a direct threat to Israel.
However, the prospects of reaching an agreement between Washington and Tehran appear strained. According to a senior Iranian diplomat, Iran is preparing a negative response to the latest U.S. draft, which was delivered on Saturday by Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who acts as a mediator between both countries.
The draft, which represents the first formal written proposal after five rounds of indirect talks, has been described by Iran as a "non-starter" for not "adequately" addressing its interests and maintaining an inflexible stance on uranium enrichment.
One of the main points of friction is the clear U.S. refusal to allow any level of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, something Tehran considers essential for its technological sovereignty and its civil nuclear program.
The U.S. proposal includes the possibility of Iran joining a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, alongside countries such as Saudi Arabia, but stipulates that this process could not take place within Iranian territory.
This option, in addition to requiring a high degree of trust among rival countries, would involve constant external monitoring, which Iran points to as a form of loss of national control.
From Tehran's perspective, the U.S. offer is unilateral and excessively demanding. The Iranian nuclear committee, under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has assessed it as an attempt to impose a "bad deal" without real concessions.
The tension has caused international concern. A definitive collapse in the talks could lead to Europe supporting tougher UN sanctions and even a joint military action between the United States and Israel against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Israel, which considers the Iranian nuclear program an existential threat, has reiterated its willingness to strike to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Despite the threats, Iran has suggested that it could accept some technical restrictions if frozen funds are released and its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes is formally recognized. However, the Trump administration, after returning to power, has intensified pressure on Iran through additional sanctions and warnings of military action.
Meanwhile, Iran has suffered strategic setbacks in the region, weakening its influence in the so-called "Axis of Resistance" that includes groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various Shia militias. In this context, the Saudi Defense Minister recently urged Iran to seriously consider the U.S. proposal as a way to avoid a war with Israel.
The moment is delicate. Although Iran leans toward formally rejecting the draft, its response is likely to remain sufficiently ambiguous to leave the door open to further negotiations.
