Iran Blames US 'Maximalist' Demands for Stalled Nuclear Talks
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- Iran's Deputy FM Saeed Khatibzadeh told AP on the margins of a diplomacy forum in Antalya, Turkey, that Iran is not yet ready for face-to-face talks with the US, accusing Washington of holding firm on 'maximalist' demands.
- Khatibzadeh rejected Trump's claim that Iran would ship enriched uranium to the US, calling it a 'non-starter' and declaring: 'no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States.'
- Trump said Friday the US will go into Iran and 'get all the nuclear dust,' referring to 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by US strikes last year.
- Iran is seeking finalization of a 'framework agreement' before moving to an in-person meeting, Khatibzadeh said, while demanding Washington address what he called 'illegal unilateral sanctions' and 'economic terrorism.'
- On Lebanon, Khatibzadeh said Iran has 'no option, just to stop aggressors once and forever' if Israel resumes strikes, while Trump said Israel is 'prohibited' by the US from further attacks — though the State Department clarified the prohibition covers only offensive actions, not self-defense.
- A 'new protocol' for the Strait of Hormuz would be part of the negotiations, with Iran pledging it would 'remain open and safe for all civilian passage'; Trump separately said a US blockade of the strait will remain and attacks will resume if no deal is reached.
- Iran had temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz after Israel struck central Beirut following a US-Iran truce that Iran and Pakistan said covered Lebanon but Israel and the US denied, reopening it only after a Lebanon ceasefire took effect Friday.
Why it matters: The standoff keeps a framework deal — and any de-escalation — out of reach, with the 970 pounds of enriched uranium now the clearest flashpoint. Iran's flat refusal to hand over its stockpile, paired with Trump's threat to resume strikes and keep the Strait of Hormuz blockade in place, means both sides are holding maximalist positions while a fragile Lebanon ceasefire hangs in the balance.
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