Consortium cannot replace enrichment inside Iran, says Tehran

An Iranian official familiar with the matter said Tehran does not view the latest US proposal in nuclear talks as a fair basis for agreement, according to Iranian state-linked media.

“The recent US proposal for a new nuclear deal with Iran is unacceptable,” the unnamed source was quoted as saying. “It cannot serve as a fair foundation for any potential compromise.”

The comments follow five rounds of talks between Iran and the United States mediated by Oman. Washington confirmed Saturday it had submitted a written proposal to Tehran.

Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed reports that the White House has ordered a halt to new sanctions, saying only verifiable action—not unnamed sources—can determine whether Washington’s approach is shifting.

“Have you actually believed it?” spokesman Esmail Baghaei responded when asked about the reports on US pause of sanctions.

“What is absolutely clear to us is that lifting sanctions is a fundamental part of any understanding with the United States,” he said.

“No agreement will be possible without clear and reliable relief from measures that target the Iranian people.”

Baghaei added that Iran has seen only repeated waves of sanctions ahead of each negotiation round.

“We don’t think we can rely on media reports or claims from so-called informed or uninformed sources,” he said. “We need to see practical changes in the US approach to sanctions.”

A potential agreement between the Islamic Republic and the United States could bolster Iran’s position and benefit the Palestinian people, said the representative of Hamas in Tehran.

“If a major country like Iran reaches an agreement with the US, Iran will become stronger and better able to support the Palestinian people,” Khaled al-Qaddoumi said.

Hamas views an end to sanctions on Tehran as essential, he added.

“We strongly need Iran to be independent and free of sanctions.”

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, spoke with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sunday evening, according to an official Egyptian readout.

Abdelatty expressed Cairo’s support for the talks, saying, “The US-Iranian talks represent a critical opportunity to achieve calm and de-escalation in the region and prevent its slide into total chaos.”

Araghchi arrived in Cairo on Sunday for talks with senior Egyptian officials focusing on bilateral relations.

On Monday, Araghchi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that during Araghchi’s visit to Egypt, the foreign minister may discuss ongoing indirect negotiations with the United States.

Responding to reports of a planned meeting between Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in Egypt, Baghaei said the meeting “cannot be confirmed.”

Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday condemned Israel’s reaction to the latest IAEA report.

“This regime has always posed a threat to the region, and that is nothing new,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at his press briefing.

“Any reckless act by this regime will undoubtedly face a decisive reaction.”

Baghaei accused Israel of deflecting attention from its own arsenal and conduct.

“A regime with dozens of nuclear warheads, guilty of genocide in the occupied territories, and in violation of every major arms control treaty, has no standing to invoke the IAEA,” he said.