Iran's chief negotiator rejects deal unless Iranian rights secured

Iran's chief negotiator said Sunday that Tehran will not accept any nuclear agreement with the United States unless Iranian rights are fully guaranteed, as reports emerged that the Trump administration had sent a tougher peace proposal to Iranian officials.

The standoff marks a critical juncture in Pakistan-mediated nuclear talks, with the Trump administration warning it could restart military action if negotiations fail — a development closely watched by The Korea Times' Korean-American readership with ties across the Pacific.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, said his country will not sign off on any deal under current conditions. "We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast on IRIB, Iran's state television network.

The statement followed reports by The New York Times and Axios that the Trump administration had sent a revised, tougher proposal back to Iranian officials. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking in a Fox News interview with Lara Trump, insisted Iran had already accepted his core demand. "The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," Trump said. He added: "I'm in no hurry. If we don't get what we want, we're going to end in a different way."

Iran has set two preconditions for substantive nuclear discussions, according to The Korea Times: the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets and inclusion of Lebanon in any final agreement. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Washington is prepared to restart military operations if the talks collapse.

The diplomatic standoff is compounded by continuing hostilities in Lebanon. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon and raised the Israeli flag over the medieval Beaufort fortress, AFP reported. A formal ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect April 17 but has not held. Israel has carried out near-daily air raids since early March, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli territory following the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment," AFP reported. Israeli forces also issued an evacuation order covering a zone extending 40 kilometers north of the Zahrani River.

Pakistan-brokered nuclear talks remain at an impasse as both sides hold firm on their demands. The Trump administration has not set a deadline but has made clear it views military options as a viable alternative if diplomacy fails.