Trump says Iran's proposal 'unacceptable' as Tehran touts intel on Israeli nukes
Iran’s response to a US nuclear deal proposal is “unacceptable”, President Donald Trump said on Monday, adding that Iran was “asking for things you can’t do”.
“They don’t want to have to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We want just the opposite,” Trump said during a business round table.
Earlier in the day, he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said the two leaders’ conversation was mainly about Iran.
“So far, they (Iran) aren’t there. I hate to say that…They have given us their thoughts on the deal, and I said, ‘it’s just not acceptable.’”
Trump’s pessimistic tone is in stark contrast to his assessment of the nuclear talks in May. He previously said he asked Netanyahu not to launch preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities because he believed the US was close to a “solution”.
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The US and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the 2015 deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from during his first term in 2018.
Trump, who prides himself on being a “dealmaker”, laughed about going toe-to-toe with the Iranians. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the talks, although the discussions were mediated by Oman.
“They (Iranians) are good negotiators, but they are tough. Sometimes they can be too tough. That’s the problem,” Trump said.
Trump said the next round of talks will take place on Thursday.
Trump’s comments come as all sides, the US, Iran and Israel, appear to be positioning themselves for different scenarios depending on how the talks progress.
Iran touts Israel nuclear intelligence leak
On Saturday, Iranian state media reported that Tehran had obtained a trove of "strategic and sensitive" Israeli intelligence in a covert operation, including files related to Israel's undeclared nuclear programme and defence plans. Israel is widely understood to have nuclear weapons, although it doesn’t admit it.
Iran's top security body said on Monday that, using intelligence it had obtained about Israeli nuclear facilities, Iranian forces could launch counterattacks - should Israel strike the Islamic Republic.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes. After Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran ramped up uranium enrichment to 60 percent.
US officials have said that Iran is weeks away from enriching uranium to the 90 percent level that would be needed for weaponisation. Iran would then have to construct a nuclear weapon, which could take months.
Trump’s comments on Monday suggest that he is pursuing a deal that would stop all Iranian enrichment - a red line for the Islamic Republic.
Reports in Axios and The New York Times earlier this month said the White House may concede to a low level of enrichment by Iran, perhaps temporarily.
The US provided Iran with a proposal for a nuclear deal on 31 May. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the US proposal as "lacking elements" reflective of the previous rounds of negotiations.
"We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised," Baqaei told a weekly press briefing.
"It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity.”
Iran's parliament speaker has said the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions, a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years. Trump imposed debilitating sanctions on Iran in 2018.
Is Trump holding back Israel from attacking?
A steady stream of media leaks suggests that Israel is prepared to unilaterally bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, potentially alone.
One senior US official previously told Middle East Eye on the condition of anonymity that the Trump administration has been impressed by plans Israel shared with it that lay out unilateral strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme without direct American involvement. The plans were discussed in April and May with CIA director John Ratcliffe.
But analysts and former US and Israeli officials say Israel is unlikely to defy Trump’s request to stand down.
They say Netanyahu would like to share political responsibility with the US for attacking Iran if something goes wrong. He is also afraid Trump may not provide an American military backstop, given his recent ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen that excluded Israel.
In 2024, the US intervened directly to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel during two unprecedented direct exchanges of fire between the Middle East foes.
Trump himself is under conflicting pressures.
He has purged his administration of pro-Israel hawks like former national security advisor Mike Waltz and, more recently, lower-level officials like Merav Ceren, the National Security Council director for Israel and Iran.
Ceren came in the crosshairs of pro-Trump "America First" commentators, but analysts say officials like her likely have little influence in a White House where Trump has consolidated decision-making down to all but his closest advisors.
Iran has been the most active in positioning itself for the next round of talks.
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