Iran parliament speaker blasts US nuclear proposal over lack of sanctions relief
The Cradle, June 8, 2025 —
US President Donald Trump has shifted his stance, now demanding that Iran completely cease uranium enrichment, after previously insisting only on preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has strongly criticized the latest US proposal in ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations, saying it reflects a coercive and contradictory stance by Washington.
Speaking on 8 June, Ghalibaf said the proposal fails to include any commitment to lifting sanctions – a key demand of Tehran – and offers only vague promises of economic benefits.
Ghalibaf emphasized that, under Iran’s Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions, the country is prepared to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, but only in exchange for tangible sanctions relief. “The fact that the US proposal doesn’t even mention lifting sanctions clearly proves the dishonesty and contradiction in America’s approach,” he said.
Explaining that the US is attempting to deprive Iran of its internationally recognized right to enrich uranium, Ghalibaf said the proposal is both “unilateral” and “imposed,” offering nothing of substance in return for Iran’s agreement. He also took aim at US President Donald Trump, calling him “delusional” and urging him to abandon coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what he called “failed Zionist policies.”
Officials in Tehran reiterated that any deal must serve Iran’s national interests, which include uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s response would be guided by principles and national priorities.
Meanwhile, chief negotiator and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Oman’s foreign minister recently delivered the US proposal during a brief visit to Tehran and that Iran would respond appropriately.
On Friday, Trump insisted Iran would not be allowed to enrich uranium, even at low levels. “If they enrich, then we’re going to have to do it the other way,” he warned, hinting at possible military action if diplomacy fails.
Despite this, the US proposal reportedly allows for limited uranium enrichment under international oversight, similar to the 2015 nuclear deal signed during the Obama administration.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called enrichment essential to Iran’s nuclear program and questioned the US’s authority to dictate its scope.
On Wednesday, Khamenei said that without enrichment, Iran’s nuclear program was “useless.”
“Who are you to tell us whether we should have a nuclear program or not?” he asked.
Iran expert Trita Parsi told Al-Jazeera on Sunday that by shifting his red line to enrichment rather than weaponization, Trump “reverting to the foreign policy of John Bolton” and may cause the talks he himself initiated to collapse.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, continue to press the White House to prevent any enrichment by Iran, though reports suggest Israel will not act militarily unless it determines negotiations have definitively collapsed.
Five rounds of nuclear talks have taken place since 12 April, with further negotiations expected. Growing tensions over sanctions relief and uranium enrichment remain key obstacles to any new agreement.