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Iran’s chief negotiator warned Sunday that Tehran does not trust the United States and would reject any agreement that fails to protect what he described as Iran’s national rights, as negotiations over ending the conflict move forward.
The comments from Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf came after reports that President Donald Trump had sent Iran a revised and tougher peace proposal tied to ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The talks follow months of conflict that began in February after the United States and Israel launched strikes targeting Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. While Iran maintains its nuclear program is intended for civilian use, the United States and Western allies have long argued Tehran could use its enriched uranium stockpile to develop nuclear weapons.
According to reports from Axios, President Trump recently submitted a revised negotiating framework to Tehran, though details of the proposal remain unclear.
The president has repeatedly said the United States wants guarantees that Iran will not obtain nuclear weapons and that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will fully resume.
“The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They’ve agreed to that, and it was very interesting,” President Trump said during an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News.
Iranian media also reported that Iran is demanding access to roughly $12 billion in frozen assets before substantive nuclear negotiations proceed further. At the same time, tensions have continued despite a temporary ceasefire reached earlier this year.
Disputes also remain over the future status of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump recently stated Iran would not be permitted to impose tolls or control passage through the key shipping route, though Iranian officials denied such terms were part of any agreement.
Beyond Iran, fighting has intensified in Lebanon between Israeli forces and Hezbollah despite a separate ceasefire agreement reached in April.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday described Israel’s recapture of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon as “a dramatic shift,” while Hezbollah officials condemned the operation and accused Israel of escalating the conflict.
