Trump urges Iran response to US nuclear demands, Khamenei signals rejection

Sanctions pose a growing threat to global economic stability and peace, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasilia on Thursday.

“Using national currencies, digital assets, and launching joint banking platforms forms an effective front against coercive pressure and sanctions,” he said.

Ghalibaf described sanctions as a “new challenge to the global economy” that directly impact livelihoods and economic justice.

The Iranian people remain determined to preserve their nuclear program, despite pressure from the United States, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council said Thursday.

“Trump must understand that even with the will of arrogant powers, the Iranian nation seeks to maintain its nuclear energy,” Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghaddam said.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Wednesday endorsed Vice President J.D. Vance’s warning on Iran’s nuclear case, calling for the dismantling of the Islamic Republic’s atomic program.

“If the Iran domino falls, you're going to see nuclear proliferation all over the Middle East. That's very bad for us. It's very bad for our friends,” Vance said in remarks cited by AIPAC.

“Put a deadline on talks. Increase the pressure. Demand Iran dismantle,” the group posted on X, urging a harder line on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

President Donald Trump signed an order banning travel to the US from 12 countries, including Iran.

The White House said Wednesday that the move aims to tighten security. Nations affected include Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen.

The White House said Iran is “a state sponsor of terrorism” that “fails to cooperate in identifying security risks” and “has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals.”

Trump said the most restricted countries harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” lack proper identity verification, and have poor visa compliance.

“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” he said.

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"The English draft of the US nuclear proposal contains language flaws," Iran's former nuclear chief said Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the text.

Speaking in a televised interview, Ali Akbar Salehi also described the proposal as "very confusing and contradictory."

Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said whoever authored the US nuclear deal proposal was "clumsy", criticizing the plan for failing to address the key Iranian demand on the lifting of sanctions.

Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV quoted Shamkhani as saying the Islamic Republic is currently working on a proposal of its own.

“Iran will not allow American goals—including destroying its nuclear program and bringing uranium enrichment to zero—to be realized,” Shamkhani said.

The commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Wednesday that Israeli targets “will be destroyed” in the event of a conflict.

The Israelis "are well aware of Iran’s capabilities," Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV quoted Hossein Salami as saying.

Referring to Iran’s previous retaliatory operations, codenamed “True Promise 1 and 2,” Salami warned that any further acts of aggression would be met with an “even broader and more severe” response from Iran.

Salami said any party involved in what he called an adventure against Iran “will pay the price ... (and) regret it.”

US President Donald Trump said he discussed Iran in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, emphasize that Iran must promptly respond to US demands regarding its nuclear program.

"We also discussed Iran, and the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement. President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion," he added.

"It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!"

"No date has been set so far for the next round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, contrary to Western media reports," several media outlets in Tehran reported citing an informed Iranian source.

Another round of nuclear negotiations between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi could take place this weekend, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The potential meeting comes amid heightened tensions following Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s sharp rejection of the latest US nuclear proposal, which he said would undermine Iran’s self-sufficiency by limiting its ability to enrich uranium.

“A nuclear industry without enrichment capabilities is useless,” Khamenei said in a speech on Wednesday, adding that the US demands contradict Iran’s principles and disregard the sacrifices of its nuclear scientists. “That’s none of your business,” he added, addressing foreign powers who oppose Iran’s enrichment efforts.

Shortly after Khamenei’s remarks, Araghchi echoed the sentiment on X, writing: “No enrichment, no deal. No nuclear weapons, we have a deal.”

The US proposal, as previously reported by Axios, would allow Iran to conduct limited low-level enrichment under a regional consortium, while requiring Tehran to suspend operations at underground sites and scale back activity at above-ground facilities for a temporary period. Key details remain under negotiation.