Al Jazeera reports: And is Tehran likely to have to make significant compromises to reach a deal?Here’s what we know:What is in the latest US proposal?According to US media reports, Washington sent Iran a 14-point document earlier this week. Under its proposals, Iran would be required to agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and halt all enrichment of uranium for at least 12 years. It would also be required to hand over an estimated 440kg (970lb) stock of uranium, which it has enriched to 60 percent.In return, the US would gradually lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and withdraw its naval blockade of Iranian ports.Both sides, which are currently engaged in a naval standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, would reopen the critical waterway within 30 days of signing.Iran has been subject to crippling US sanctions for decades.
The lifting of some of these under a 2015 nuclear agreement drawn up with the former Obama administration, five other countries and the European Union, was reversed when Trump unilaterally walked out of the deal in 2018, during his first term as US president. Advertisement Billions of dollars of Iranian assets remain frozen in foreign banks due to the ongoing sanctions.The US proposal follows one submitted by Iran via mediator Pakistan a week ago.What has Iran said about the latest US proposal?Iran has yet to formally respond to the latest US plan. This has not been confirmed, but Iranian officials are saying they’re still reviewing it,” Atas said.“So despite this back and forth and these military confrontations, the diplomatic and mediation efforts seem to be still under way, and both sides are still interested in diplomatically engaging with each other,” he noted.“Now, after Iran’s response, the picture is going to get pretty clear.
Background
So far, despite some optimism, Iranian officials are saying that several US demands are unreasonable, unrealistic and maximalist.”“There’s a huge gap between the positions of the two parties,” he added. How many peace proposals have there been so far?There has been a series of proposals and counterproposals in recent weeks.Before the US sent Iran its latest plan this week, Tehran had offered up its own, new 14-point proposal in the latest diplomatic step to reach a permanent end to the war last week. Iran had, however, rejected this plan and said a temporary ceasefire would give the US and Israel time to regroup and launch further attacks, and in turn proposed its 10-point plan.Is Iran likely to compromise to meet US demands?Some analysts say Iran may have to change its tone on its nuclear programme.
What this means
Tehran has always wanted to keep the right to enrich uranium as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), but Trump has made the nuclear issue a “red line”.Iran is believed to have about 440kg (970lb) of uranium enriched to 60 percent. A 90-percent threshold of enriched uranium is needed to produce a nuclear weapon. Under the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with several other states, Iran had been permitted to enrich uranium to 3.67 percent – enough to develop a nuclear power programme.
Advertisement “If that is achieved, in a second phase, they’re ready to discuss their nuclear programme.”Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid also reported from Tehran on Tuesday that Iran has set “a very firm red line” on the nuclear file. Many of the positions that the Iranians are reportedly holding in negotiations are the same as those they held in negotiations prior to the US attacks,” he said.“From the US positions, it appears that Iran would need to compromise significantly, but they have not demonstrated any appetite to make big concessions, likely because they don’t trust the Trump administration to keep to their commitments,” he added.
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
