Iran rules out interim nuclear deal with United States

Iran has dismissed the possibility of reaching an interim agreement with the United States as part of the ongoing indirect negotiations aimed at resolving the long-standing dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Speaking at a press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that discussions of a provisional accord have not been included in the agenda of the current diplomatic engagement between the two sides, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"An interim agreement with the US is not on the agenda yet. Therefore, it is natural that this issue was not raised during the fifth round of talks," Baghaei stated.

Amid renewed diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran, a senior American diplomat revealed on May 24 that during recent discussions in Rome, Washington reiterated its uncompromising demand that Tehran halt all uranium enrichment activities within its territory. The issue remains a central obstacle in the protracted negotiations aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

While uranium enrichment continues to be a major point of contention, the talks also explored broader proposals. According to the diplomat, one potential framework under consideration involved Iran offering assurances that it would permanently renounce the pursuit of nuclear weapons. In exchange, the US administration is reportedly weighing the option of delaying certain sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the matter directly ahead of his visit to Rome, making Tehran’s position unequivocally clear: “Zero nuclear weapons equals a deal. Zero enrichment equals no deal. It's time to decide.” His statement reaffirmed Iran’s longstanding insistence on preserving its right to enrich uranium for what it claims are peaceful purposes.

This stance aligns with previous comments by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who dismissed Western calls for an end to enrichment as “excessive and outrageous,” cautioning that negotiations framed around such demands were unlikely to produce meaningful outcomes.

The US position was further articulated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in testimony before the Senate. While acknowledging that Washington remains open to allowing Iran a civilian nuclear program, Rubio emphasized that any agreement must prohibit uranium enrichment, citing concerns over potential weaponization. “It won’t be easy,” Rubio admitted, underscoring the complexity of achieving a viable and mutually acceptable resolution.

By Vafa Guliyeva