Exclusive: Iran poised to dismiss US nuclear proposal, Iranian diplomat says

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1. DUBAI, June 2 (Reuters) – Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-old [nuclear dispute](https://www.reuters.com/world/how-un-sanctions-iran-could-be-restored-2025-04-10/), an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, dismissing it as a “non-starter” that fails to address Tehran’s interests or soften Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment.”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](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-main-nuclear-facilities-long-israels-sights-2024-10-02/) was presented to Iran on Saturday by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating [talks](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-warned-iran-reach-nuclear-deal-with-trump-or-risk-israeli-strike-2025-05-30/) between Tehran and Washington.After five rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, several obstacles remain.Among them are Iran’s rejection of a U.S. demand that it commit to scrapping uranium enrichment and its refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium – possible raw material for 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.Araqchi said Tehran would formally respond to the proposal soon.Tehran demands the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But the U.S. says nuclear-related sanctions should be removed in phases.Dozens of institutions vital to Iran’s economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been blacklisted since 2018 for, according to Washington, “supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation”.

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