Iran rejects trust in Washington as nuclear deal talks face fresh uncertainty

Efforts to secure a breakthrough between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme have encountered renewed obstacles, with Iranian officials openly questioning Washington’s credibility and warning that no agreement would be accepted unless the country’s interests are fully protected.

The latest setback emerged as reports indicated that US President Donald Trump had returned a revised and tougher proposal to Tehran, potentially complicating ongoing negotiations aimed at ending months of regional conflict and restoring stability to strategic shipping routes in the Gulf.

Speaking on Sunday, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, made it clear that Tehran remained deeply sceptical of Washington’s intentions despite continuing diplomatic engagements.

“We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld,” Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast on state television.

His remarks came amid growing speculation over the contents of a new framework reportedly sent by Trump to Iranian authorities. According to reports by The New York Times and Axios, the revised proposal contains tougher conditions than earlier drafts, although details have not been publicly disclosed.

Negotiations between the two countries began months before hostilities escalated in the region. At the time, Iran and the United States were engaged in discussions over Tehran’s nuclear programme when coordinated American and Israeli military strikes targeted key Iranian installations and senior officials.

While Iran continues to insist its nuclear programme is intended solely for civilian purposes, Washington and its Western allies maintain concerns that Tehran could eventually develop nuclear weapons capabilities.

Trump has repeatedly stated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a central objective of his administration.

“The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They’ve agreed to that, and it was very interesting,” he told his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, in an interview on her Fox News show.

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Iranian officials, however, have disputed several claims made by the US President and continue to insist that significant differences remain unresolved.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, negotiations are still ongoing, with both sides continuing to exchange amendments to the proposed agreement.

“No agreement has yet been finalised, and it is possible that any agreement will be rejected,” it said.

Iran has also maintained that the release of approximately $12 billion in frozen assets is a prerequisite for any substantive progress in negotiations. Iranian media have further dismissed Trump’s earlier assertion that the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium would be eliminated, describing such comments as unfounded.

Despite ongoing diplomacy, military tensions remain a significant obstacle to a final agreement.

One of Washington’s publicly stated goals during the conflict was the degradation of Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure. In April, General Dan Caine, the highest-ranking US military officer, estimated that more than 80 per cent of Iran’s missile facilities had been targeted.

However, recent satellite analysis cited by CNN suggests that Iran has managed to reopen a substantial number of underground missile facilities previously damaged during US strikes.

Although a temporary ceasefire agreed in April largely halted large-scale attacks across Iran and the Gulf region, isolated incidents continue to threaten the fragile calm.

Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, reported that Revolutionary Guard forces recently intercepted and shot down a US military drone allegedly approaching Iranian territorial waters. American officials have not publicly confirmed the incident.

Meanwhile, negotiations remain closely tied to the future of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

Trump recently suggested that under a future agreement Iran would impose “no tolls” on vessels using the strategic waterway. Iranian officials quickly challenged that claim.

According to Iran’s Fars news agency, sources insisted that “no such clause” existed.

At the same time, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that lawmakers are considering a proposal that would strengthen Iranian control over the waterway.

The proposal would include Iranian “management and sovereignty” over the strait including imposing “administrative fees”.

The regional crisis has been further complicated by continued fighting in Lebanon, where clashes between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah remain intense despite previous ceasefire efforts.

Tehran has reportedly insisted that any broader peace settlement must address the Lebanese front, while Lebanese authorities continue to call for an immediate halt to hostilities.

The conflict intensified following Israel’s capture of the historic Beaufort Castle, a strategic stronghold in southern Lebanon.

“The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The move drew criticism from Hezbollah representatives, who accused Israel of attempting to score political gains through symbolic military actions.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the castle “was not a military site for the resistance”, adding the raising of the Israeli flag there “should provoke the feelings of every loyal patriot”.

Diplomatic sources said the United Nations Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session to discuss the deteriorating situation, as concerns grow that continued fighting in Lebanon could further complicate already fragile US-Iran negotiations.

Although a truce between Israel and Hezbollah officially came into effect on April 17, both sides continue to accuse one another of repeated violations, raising doubts about prospects for lasting stability in the region.

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