Iran on Sunday refused to agree on a deal with the United States (US) unless its rights are completely secured. The development follows as negotiations continue between the two sides to end the conflict that started on February 28.ย
In a televised address, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran’s negotiators “neither trust the enemy’s words nor its promises”. “We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld,” Ghalibaf, who is Iran’s chief negotiator, said.
Iran has been pressing for uplifting all sanctions and releasing its frozen assets in foreign banks. The Iranians also want to secure the Strait of Hormuz through which around 20 to 25 per cent of the global crude transits.
As per various reports, the US and Iran have agreed on many issues, but Tehran’s nuclear programme remains the bone of contention. But President Donald Trump has said that the US and Iran are close to a deal, and the Middle East nation has also agreed to give up its nuclear ambition.
“We’re close to a very good deal. If you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal, and slowly but surely, we’re getting what we want and if we don’t get what we want, we’re going to end it a different way,” Trump told daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an interview to Fox News on Saturday.ย
“But we’re close to a very good deal. If we can make it, good. Otherwise we just start up with the Department of War as we call it,” the Republican leader, who is a two-time president, added. “I said, well what happens if you buy a nuclear weapon? So now it says we will not develop or in any way purchase a military weapon. That’s a big difference.”
According to a report by Axios, Trump wants to finalise the deal with Iran as soon as possible. Citing two US officials, the report stated that Trump wants an amendment regarding some words over reopening of Hormuz. They told Trump that Iranians could take as many as three days to respond to his proposal.ย
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