US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, saying that the Iranian response Tehran had conveyed to Pakistan was unacceptable to him.
The American president's remarks came hours after reports said the Iranians had delivered their response to the Pakistani mediators as part of the talks.
Significant gaps between Iranian response and US expectations
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Iranian response document delivered to the US on Sunday included several pages detailing Iran's demands, and that the current wording left significant gaps between the sides.
According to the report, the Iranian response does not address the US demand for prior commitments regarding the fate of Iran's nuclear program and Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Instead, Iran is proposing an end to the fighting and the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, in parallel with the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, the officials said.
It was further reported that nuclear issues would be discussed in negotiations to be held over the next 30 days. Iran is proposing to dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and transfer the rest to a third country, according to the officials. Iran's response, which was delivered to mediator Pakistan and from there to Washington, includes a demand for guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned to Iran if the negotiations fail or if the US withdraws from the agreement at a later stage.
Iran added that it was prepared to suspend uranium enrichment, but for a shorter period than the 20-year freeze proposed by the US. However, Iran rejected the demand to dismantle its nuclear facilities, the officials said.
Contrary to The Wall Street Journal report, Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the details published regarding Iran's draft proposal in the talks with the US were mostly inaccurate and did not reflect reality in significant parts. According to a source who spoke with the news agency, the points published regarding nuclear materials were incorrect.
According to the same source, the Iranian draft "emphasizes the need for an immediate end to the war and guarantees against renewed aggression toward Iran, alongside arrangements for additional issues as part of a political understanding." The report also said that Iran was demanding the removal of US sanctions, an end to the fighting on all fronts and Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz, if certain commitments by the US were met.
In addition, the draft includes a demand for an immediate halt to the naval blockade on Iran after the signing of the initial understanding, the removal of sanctions related to oil sales during the 30-day period, as well as the release of Iran's frozen assets and the implementation of certain measures by the US during that same period.
