Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has warned the United States to accept Tehran’s 14-point proposal aimed at ending the Middle East conflict or risk continued failure in negotiations.
The warning came after US President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Iran’s latest counteroffer and described the current ceasefire, which has been in place since April 8, as being on “life support.”
In a statement posted on X, Ghalibaf said the US had no option but to recognise what he called the “rights of the Iranian people” outlined in the proposal.
“There is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal. Any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another,” he said.
He also warned that prolonging the crisis would increase the financial burden on American taxpayers.
Iran maintained that it would not retreat in the ongoing conflict, while military officials threatened retaliation against any fresh US military action. Tehran has also tightened control around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil trade route, raising concerns in international markets.
According to reports, the latest US proposal involves a one-page framework designed to stop hostilities and restart discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme. However, Iran’s foreign ministry said its response demanded an end to fighting across the region, including Lebanon, a halt to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and the release of Iranian assets frozen under sanctions.
Meanwhile, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, Ebrahim Rezaei, said lawmakers may consider enriching uranium to 90 per cent purity if hostilities resume.
Iran currently possesses uranium enriched to 60 per cent, while weapons-grade uranium requires about 90 per cent enrichment — a major sticking point in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
