Iran rejects confidence in Washington as nuclear deal negotiations face new uncertainty

Efforts to achieve a breakthrough between Iran and the United States regarding Tehran’s nuclear program have encountered new obstacles. Iranian officials openly question Washington’s credibility and warn that no deal will be accepted unless the country’s interests are fully protected.

The latest setback came 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, emphasized that Tehran remains highly skeptical of Washington’s intentions despite continuing diplomatic ties.

“We will not agree to any agreement until we are sure 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 stricter requirements than the previous draft, 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 regarding Tehran’s nuclear program when coordinated American and Israeli military attacks targeted key Iranian installations and senior officials.

Although Iran continues to insist that its nuclear program is aimed solely at civilian purposes, Washington and its Western allies remain concerned that Tehran will eventually develop a nuclear weapons capability.

Trump has repeatedly stated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains his administration’s primary goal.

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

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But Iranian officials disputed some of the claims made by the US President and continued to insist that significant differences of opinion remained unresolved.

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

“No deal has been finalized, and it is possible that any deal will be rejected,” he said.

Iran also stated that the release of frozen assets worth about $12 billion was a prerequisite for substantive progress in negotiations. Iranian media further rejected Trump’s earlier statement that his country’s stockpile of enriched uranium would be eliminated, describing the comments as baseless.

Despite ongoing diplomacy, military tensions remain a major obstacle to reaching 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 percent of Iran’s missile facilities had been targeted.

However, recent satellite analysis cited by CNN shows that Iran has succeeded in reopening a large number of underground missile facilities previously damaged by US attacks.

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

Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, reported that Revolutionary Guard troops recently intercepted and shot down a US military drone that was suspected of approaching Iran’s 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 stated that under a future agreement, Iran would implement a “no tariffs” policy against ships using the strategic waterway. Iranian officials quickly disputed the claim.

According to Iranian news agency Fars, sources insisted that “no such clause” exists.

At the same time, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that lawmakers were considering proposals that would strengthen Iran’s control over the waterway.

The proposal would cover Iran’s “management and sovereignty” over the strait including imposing “administrative fees”.

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

Tehran reportedly insists that a broader peace settlement must address the Lebanese front, while Lebanese authorities continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The conflict escalated after Israel captured the historic Beaufort Castle, a strategic fortress in southern Lebanon.

“The Beaufort takeover is a dramatic stage and a dramatic change in the policy that we are leading,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The move drew criticism from Hezbollah representatives, who accused Israel of trying to gain political advantage through symbolic military action.

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

Diplomatic sources said the UN Security Council is expected to hold 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 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah officially took effect on April 17, both sides continue to accuse each other of repeated violations, raising doubts about the prospects for long-term stability in the region.