Iran pushed back against Washington’s terms on April 18 amid another round of peace proposals, reiterating its demands for the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen assets and war reparations.
The response comes after United States President Donald Trump’s threat, in which he said that “the Clock is Ticking” and that “there won’t be anything left of them” if no agreement is achieved with Iran.
The US has asserted that it will only end the hostilities if Iran engages in formal peace negotiations.
Iran’s Mehr news agency, however, described Washington’s proposals as “excessive” and “maximalist”.
Mehr also reported that the US had refused to offer “tangible concessions” and is seeking to gain “concessions that it failed to obtain during the war”, adding that this “will lead to an impasse in the negotiations”.
Tehran outlines proposals in Pakistan
The ongoing talks are being mediated by Pakistan as of Monday, with Iran’s Tasnim news agency stating that Tehran has laid out new proposals aimed at finally stopping the war.
“As we announced yesterday, our concerns were conveyed to the American side,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday, according to Agence France-Presse.
“The points raised are Iranian demands that have been firmly defended by the Iranian negotiating team in every round of negotiations,” he said.
Iran’s key position mainly includes the release of its frozen assets abroad, the lifting of sanctions, and war reparations from the US for what they called an “illegal and baseless” war.
They also sought recognition of their sovereignty and influence over the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran pushes for end to war
Last week, the country had previously proposed ending the conflict on all fronts, including Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.
They also called for an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports that has been in effect since April 13.
The war has notably led to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital route that transports 20 per cent of the world’s oil shipments during peacetime.
Since then, the move has affected global markets and economies, making energy prices soar.
US makes demands for Iran’s nuclear sector
Washington, on the other hand, has offered a five-point list in the negotiations.
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the US demanded that Iran transfer its highly enriched uranium stockpile to the US, and has required Iran to maintain only one nuclear plant.
It has refused to pay any compensation for war damage or release “even 25 per cent” of Iran’s restricted assets.
The US has also rejected Iran’s 14-point peace proposal, according to Xinhua news agency.
Since the fragile ceasefire on April 8, the US, Israel and Iran have held only one round of direct talks in Pakistan on April 11 to 12, which ended without agreement.
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James Mario Ajero 
Ciara Mina 
Jacinth Banite