The Trump administration wants Tehran to halt its nuclear “escalations,” ballistic missile program and support for regional proxy groups, a spokesperson for the Department of State told Iran International on Monday.
"Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, must stop its nuclear escalations, its ballistic missile program, and its support for its terrorist proxies," the spokesperson said.
"For decades, the Iranian regime has willfully neglected the nation’s economy, agriculture, water, and electricity to instead squander Iranian people’s vast wealth and future on terrorist proxies and nuclear weapons research."
The spokesperson made the remarks when asked about an Iranian state media report claiming that “recognition of Israel” has been added to the Trump administration’s preconditions for peace with Tehran.
Tehran has long rejected heeding a US diplomatic push for it to rein in its nuclear program and military activities as a violation of its sovereignty by an enemy power.
US President Donald Trump told Axios earlier in the day the situation with Iran is “in flux” after he sent a “big armada” to the region but believes Tehran is eager to cut a deal. “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk."
Separately, Axios quoted US officials as saying any potential agreement with Tehran would require the removal of all highly enriched uranium from Iran, strict limits on the country’s long-range missile stockpile, a change in Iran’s policy of supporting regional proxy groups, and a ban on independent uranium enrichment inside the country.
US Central Command on Monday confirmed the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East. "The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability."
The deployment came weeks after Trump promised help for Iranian protesters amid a brutal crackdown where at least 36,500 people were killed. He said he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials, and that "help is on its way" for Iranian people.
The State Department spokesperson said on Monday "the Iranian people want and deserve a better life."
"The regime’s brutal suppression of the Iranian people is on full display," the spokesperson said.
The outlet reported that the assets include luxury properties across several European countries, ranging from a golf resort in Mallorca to a ski hotel in Austria.
The holdings were structured through a complex network of offshore companies registered in jurisdictions including Luxembourg, St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Austria, Germany and Spain.
Ansari is not under European Union sanctions.
The findings show how wealthy Iranians with close ties to the ruling system have continued to acquire high-value assets in the West despite sanctions.
The report comes as Iran has been shaken by widespread protests fueled by a collapsing currency, high inflation, and public anger over corruption. Protesters have accused elites of enriching themselves while living standards for much of the population have sharply deteriorated.
The acting head of Iran’s Interests Section in Washington told state news agency IRNA that the group will depart from Mesa Airport in Arizona, make a brief stop in Egypt and return to Iran via Kuwait.
Abolfazl Mehrabadi added the office coordinated with US immigration authorities to issue return travel documents for the detainees.
The flight is the third to repatriate Iranian asylum seekers and others whose immigration cases were halted and who were detained by US immigration authorities for various reasons.
The planned deportation has drawn criticism in the United States, with Democratic Representatives Yassamin Ansari and Dave Min, citing human rights concerns in Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed on December 7 that 55 Iranian nationals had been detained to be deported from the United States amid President Donald Trump’s tightened immigration policies.
On September 29, a plane carrying 120 Iranians including three women landed in Iran, an Iranian expelled from the United States told Iran International, adding that detainees had faced mistreatment in US facilities and that force was used during their transfer.
