Iran won’t accept proposals against national rights, Araghchi says

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on X that he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo, just minutes after Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting cannot be confirmed.

Spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters he had “not heard anything about it.”

Grossi described the engagement as “timely meeting in Cairo with Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,” saying he is “Grateful for Egypt’s constructive role in supporting peaceful, diplomatic solutions to regional challenges.”

Tens of thousands of US forces in the region are exposed to direct Iranian firepower, said an Iranian lawmaker Monday.

“Fifty thousand American forces are within direct range of the Islamic Republic, without any defense,” said Mojtaba Zarei, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

“Some of their bases are only 200 kilometers away. If a missile is launched from Iran, the time difference compared to their response is incompatible. We can easily inflict heavy damage.”

“Once seen as threats, the US military presence in the region now represents a strategic opportunity” for Iran, he said.

Commenting on nuclear negotiations, Zarei noted, “As far as I know, the fifth round of talks has become more difficult, and the red lines of both sides are colliding.”

Iran is preparing to reject the new US proposal aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff, an Iranian diplomat told Reuters on Monday.

“In this proposal, the US stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions,” the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Iran is drafting a negative response… which could be interpreted as a rejection.”

The proposal, delivered Saturday by Oman’s foreign minister during a visit to Tehran, followed five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The diplomat said the assessment of Iran’s nuclear negotiations committee—operating under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—is that the US offer cannot serve Tehran’s interests and represents an attempt to push Iran into accepting what was called a “bad deal” through excessive demands.

Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Tehran might consider suspending enrichment under a political understanding if Washington unfreezes Iranian assets and formally recognizes Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program.

Washington’s recent written proposal and Donald Trump’s remarks about being close to a deal are part of a broader pressure strategy designed to push Iran toward an imbalanced agreement, Nour News, a media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote Monday.

“The US proposal, along with Trump’s rare remarks about being ‘close to a deal,’ are part of a combined pressure scenario,” Nour News posted on X.

“The goal is to inflate domestic expectations and impose an imbalanced agreement on Iran.”

The outlet added that threats to invoke the snapback mechanism and the IAEA’s latest report are “complementary instruments in this coordinated push.”

“Three members of the national team committed inappropriate behavior on the sidelines of the Asian Championships,” the statement said, adding that the matter is under review and disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with regulations.

South Korean police said on Saturday that two Iranian athletes and a coach were arrested in the city of Gumi after a local woman, 20, alleged she had been sexually assaulted at a hotel, where the Iranian delegation was staying.

Iranian newspaper Khabar Varzeshi on Monday published a detailed account of the alleged group sexual assault.

Citing an eyewitness, Khabar Varzeshi reported that around 6 a.m., a 20-year-old Korean woman arrived at the hotel with an Iranian athlete referred to as K, after meeting him at a bar. A second athlete, R, later joined them in the room, followed by a third, M, whose presence prompted the woman to object.

The woman, the report said, entered the bathroom and discreetly sent her location to police. Authorities arrived shortly after and, based on her complaint of group sexual assault, arrested the three.

According to Khabar Varzeshi, the accused claim the first two encounters were consensual and only the third was forced. Police, however, reportedly dismissed this distinction and detained all three men.

The hotel remains under heightened security despite the arrests, the paper added.

Iran’s Ministry of Sports pledged to address the issue, with a senior official, Shervin Asbaghian, saying that serious action would be taken against anyone found responsible.

“We have no tolerance for violations of ethical conduct,” he told Iran’s state news agency IRNA, while calling for a full investigation once the delegation returns to Iran.

It is the latest scandal to rock the sport. Federation president Ehsan Hadadi, who was one of several senior officials on the delegation, has been at the center of allegations of corruption In recent months.

Athletes and coaches have held protest gatherings outside the Ministry of Sports building in Tehran, calling for his resignation, citing concerns over alleged misconduct and mismanagement.

South Korean authorities have not yet confirmed whether formal charges will be filed, and the investigation remains ongoing.