Iran to present counter-proposal to US, Trump says talks to resume

Dubai/Washington: Iran said on Monday it will soon hand a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal to the United States in response to a U.S. offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable," while US President Donald Trump said talks would continue.

Trump made clear that the two sides remained at odds over whether the country would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil.

"They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up," Trump told reporters at the White House. "They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment."

Earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was preparing a counter-offer to the US proposal that was presented in late May. He said there was no detail about the timing of a sixth round of talks.

While Trump said the next round of talks would take place on Thursday, a senior Iranian official and a US official said Thursday was unlikely.

Following Trump's remarks, Baghaei said "based on recent consultations, the next round of Iran–US indirect negotiations is being planned for next Sunday in Muscat", according to the ministry's Telegram channel.

The U.S. official said the talks, led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, could be on Friday or Sunday, possibly in Oman or Oslo.

"The U.S. proposal is not acceptable to us. It was not the result of previous rounds of negotiations. We will present our own proposal to the other side via Oman after it is finalised. This proposal is reasonable, logical, and balanced," Baghaei said.

"We must ensure before the lifting of sanctions that Iran will effectively benefit economically and that its banking and trade relations with other countries will return to normal."

Reuters previously reported that Tehran was drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal. An Iranian diplomat said the U.S. offer failed to resolve differences over uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, the shipment abroad of Iran's entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium and reliable steps to lift U.S. sanctions. Last week, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the U.S. proposal as against Iran's interests, pledging to continue enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers view as a potential pathway to building nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes.

Trump said Iran was the main topic of a phone conversation he had on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's office said the president had told him talks with Iran would continue at the end of the week.

During his first term in 2018, Trump ditched a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond that pact's limits.

Iran says the West has turned a blind eye to Israel's nuclear programme even while pushing against Iran's. Israel neither confirms nor denies that it has nuclear weapons. Baghaei said sensitive Israeli documents, which Iran has previously promised to unveil, would demonstrate "that parties constantly questioning Iran's peaceful nuclear programme actively work to strengthen Israel's military nuclear programme".

The negotiating parties should not allow Israel to disrupt diplomatic processes, he added.