US’ N-proposal non-starter, won’t accept: Iran diplomat

Iran is poised to reject a US proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, 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.

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“Iran is drafting a negative response to the US proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the US offer,” the senior diplomat, who is close to Iran’s negotiating team, told Reuters.

The US proposal for a new nuclear deal 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 between Tehran and Washington.

After five rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, several obstacles remain.

Among them are Iran’s rejection of a US 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. “In this proposal, the US 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.

UN official holds meet in Cairo

• Iranian, Egyptian and UN leaders met in Cairo on Monday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme after a report from the UN watchdog said Iran was increasing its stockpile of uranium.
• Iranian Minister Abbas Araghchi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi & Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, though it was unclear if Araghchi would meet directly with Rafael Mariano Grossi, head, International Atomic Energy Agency. -- PTI