Iran reviews US response to 14-point proposal to end war, rules out nuclear talks

Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday said that Tehran has received Washingtons response to Irans proposal through Pakistan Speaking in an interview with the Iranian state broadcaster SNN TV Baghaei said The United States view on Tehrans proposal via Pakistan has reached Iran This perspective is currently under review and Irans response will be provided after finalisationBaghaei stressed that Irans 14point proposal is solely aimed at ending the conflict in the region and does not address nuclear issue Our 14point plan exclusively focuses on ending the war and contains no issues related to the nuclear domain Baghaei said during the televised interviewAt this stage our focus is on the specifics of ending the war in the region including Lebanon he added According to Irans semiofficial Tasnim News Agency Baghaei also rejected reports suggesting the proposal involved mineclearing operations in the Strait of HormuzThe claim of mineclearing in the Strait of Hormuz by the United States is fundamentally not part of our plan These claims are fabricated and concocted by certain media outlets he said The Iranian spokesperson also reiterated Tehrans position against negotiations conducted under pressure or imposed timelinesIran rejects negotiations under ultimatum and deadline Baghaei said according to TasnimHe further explained that the proposed framework envisions an initial halt followed by examination of details over a 30day period Addressing the issue of guarantees in any future arrangement Baghaei said The concept of guarantee in this perspective is not reliance on the counterpartys commitment but rather dependence on internal power and leversHis remarks come as a 14point response to a proposal from the United States has been submitted by Tehran state media outlet Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday The Iranian proposal which was reportedly delivered via a Pakistani intermediary calls for ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon according to TasnimWhile the US reportedly proposed a twomonth ceasefire Tasnim noted that Tehran maintains that the issues should be resolved within 30 days and insists that diplomatic efforts must prioritise the termination of the war as opposed to simply extending a ceasefireThe Iranian document follows a ninepoint US proposal and covers various topics including guarantees against military aggression and the withdrawal of US military forces from the region surrounding Iran The response further stipulates the release of frozen Iranian assets the removal of sanctions and the introduction of a new mechanism for the Strait of HormuzIrans state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting IRIB quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi who stated that the proposal was aimed at the permanent end of the conflict Now the ball is in the United States court to choose either the path of diplomacy or continuation of a confrontational approach Gharibabadi saidAlthough Iranian officials have refrained from publicly discussing the specific details of the response US President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he would soon review the plan However he remarked that he cant imagine that it would be acceptableExpressing his dissatisfaction with the offer the US President warned that military options continue to remain on the table They want to make a deal but Im not satisfied with it Trump told reporters Theyve made strides but Im not sure if they ever get there Theyre asking for things that I cant agree toReports suggest that Washington is demanding firm commitments regarding Irans nuclear programme at the start of the process Conversely Tehran is reportedly seeking a sequence that prioritises the easing of military and economic pressureThis latest proposal emerges during a fragile ceasefire that has been maintained since early April The truce followed a period of intense conflict that began on February 28 initiated by US and Israeli strikes against Irans military and nuclear infrastructureThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever