Description: The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has joined his government representatives, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as they jointly and firmly refused the latest proposal by the US regarding the country’s nuclear program. Araghchi and Pezeshkian labeled the proposal as incoherent, disjointed and filled with excessive demands that cripple Iran’s sovereign right to develop a civilian nuclear program. According to several media sources the US proposal consisted of offering Iran to develop a nuclear program which would be located in one of the Gulf States and a joint inspectorate comprised of Middle Eastern and IAEA inspectors who would oversee the nuclear compliance of the program. The refusal arrives in critical moments when both countries are preparing for a sixth round of negotiations which many official sources from the parties involved have stated might never happen. Iran is juggling between multiple domestic crises such as the stifling currency, large losses through their proxy militant groups due to Israel’s military offensives and continuous pressure from the US. Official response regarding the sixth round of negotiations is still elusive, as the Omani mediators haven’t reported any new developments from the Iranian side.
Impact: The pressure on Iran continues to mount throughout several venues as the country’s negative responses to the US proposal stem concerns over the lifespan of the nuclear negotiations. Iran hasn’t still officially responded to the US through diplomatic channels which indicates that a potential counterproposal is in the works, as the country’s government is aware that diplomacy is still the best solution in easing tensions. Both sides would have to readapt their negotiating standpoints taking into account recent developments such as the leaked IAEA report regarding Iran’s excessive uranium enrichment levels and the trilateral meeting in Egypt involving Abbas Araghchi, Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA’s General Director and Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Foreign Minister. Iran despite resisting international pressure would most likely agree towards some realistic concessions and offer reasonable counterproposals while the US isn’t expected to reproach the negotiations going forward as it’s against both countries interest to avoid a potential military showdown in the Middle East.