They’re great negotiators, says Trump ahead of sixth Iran-US nuclear deal talks

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the United States and Iran will continue nuclear deal discussions on Thursday. He called Iran “tough negotiator” and said the biggest disagreement remains over uranium enrichment.

“We’re doing a lot of work on Iran right now,” Trump told reporters during an economic event at the White House. “It’s tough. … They’re great negotiators.”

Trump stated that Iran was demanding conditions that the US could not accept. “They’re just asking for things that you can’t do. They don’t want to give up what they have to give up,” he said.

“They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment. We want just the opposite. And so far, they’re not there,” he added.

Trump also said that Iran had shared its stance on the nuclear deal, but they were not acceptable to the US. “They have given us their thoughts on the deal. And I said, you know, it’s just not acceptable,” he explained.

He further said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and they also discussed Iran. Trump described the conversation “very well.”

IRAN TO PRESENT COUNTER-PROPOSAL THROUGH OMAN

Meanwhile, Iran has confirmed that it plans to present its own proposal for the nuclear deal. According to Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the counterproposal will be submitted to the US through Oman once finalised.

Baghaei spoke at a weekly press conference on Monday, saying Iran is not satisfied with the US proposal. “We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through Oman once it is finalised,” he said.

This is the first clear sign from Tehran that it will not accept the current US proposal. Since April, Both countries are trying to form a new agreement after the US exited the original deal in 2018 under Trump’s leadership.

URANIUM ENRICHMENT REMAINS A STICKING POINT

The disagreement over uranium enrichment is at the centre of the standoff. Iran views enrichment as a right that cannot be compromised, while the US considers it a concern due to potential nuclear weapon development.