TEHRAN: Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared on Sunday that Tehran will not consent to any agreement with the United States that fails to safeguard the rights of Iranians.
"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast on state television. He further emphasized that Iranian negotiators "neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises."
His comments come as Iran and Washington continue to exchange proposals regarding a framework for a deal aimed at ending the war that erupted on February 28, which has engulfed the Middle East. On Saturday, The New York Times and Axios reported that US President Donald Trump had sent back to Tehran a new framework with "tougher" terms for Iran to consider. The specifics of these terms were not immediately disclosed.
Iran considers the relief of sanctions and the release of its assets frozen in foreign banks as among its key rights that must be ensured in any deal with the United States. Since the outbreak of the war, Iran has maintained tight control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy conduit, and views oversight of shipping through the waterway as within its rights.
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