Iran's supreme leader rejects US proposal and vows to continue enrichment

Foreign Minister Araghchi says American proposal contains 'many ambiguities and questions'

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a US proposal for a nuclear deal was against Tehran's national interests. Reuters

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday said a US proposal for a nuclear deal was against Tehran's national interests, and that the country would not abandon uranium enrichment.

"Independence means not waiting for the green light from America and the likes of America," Mr Khamenei said. The proposal was "100 per cent against" the ideals of the 1979 Islamic revolution, he added.

Iran will not bow to pressure from America to dismantle its nuclear programme, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday, after Washington reiterated that its maximum pressure campaign remains in "full force" despite dialogue aimed at reaching a deal.

"They say you must dismantle everything you have, but no free human being will bow to oppression and injustice", Mr Pezeshkian said in a televised speech.

The US wants Iran to cease enriching uranium under a possible new deal, but Tehran says its programme is for civilian purposes and it has the right to continue.

Five rounds of talks have taken place since April 12. The US has submitted a proposal but Iran has yet to formally respond.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposal submitted through mediator Oman has "many ambiguities and questions". Tehran would respond soon, he added.

"The written proposal we received from the United States contains many ambiguities and questions; many issues in this proposal are not clear," Mr Araghchi said while on a visit to Lebanon.

The White House has described the US proposal as “acceptable” and in Iran's “best interest”.

"We will not ask anyone for permission to continue enriching uranium in Iran. However, we are ready to take steps to ensure that this enrichment will not lead to the production of nuclear weapons," Mr Araghchi said.

US officials have said that Iran could produce weapons-grade uranium in less than two weeks if it chose to, and has the capacity to build a bomb within months.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration was proposing an interim plan that would allow low levels of enrichment while working towards a more detailed agreement with other countries aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

According to media reports, the US proposal also suggests the creation of a regional consortium to produce nuclear power. The idea of a regional group to handle Iran's enrichment had previously been floated during negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran has rejected the idea of enriching uranium elsewhere but is reportedly open to the idea of a regional uranium enrichment consortium based in the country, Axios reported on Tuesday.