Iran's Foreign Ministry denies including nuclear dossier in 14-point initiative

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied the authenticity of media reports that dealt with the details of the latest Iranian initiative, stressing that it focuses exclusively on ending the war in Iran and the region, and does not include any items related to the nuclear file.

Baghaei's remarks came in response to media reports, including what was published by Al-Jazeera, regarding the inclusion of a clause in the Iranian proposal to suspend uranium enrichment for up to 15 years, and said that "the proposed initiative is entirely focused on stopping the war, and what is being circulated about nuclear details is not true."

He explained that the current efforts are focused on arrangements related to de-escalation, including in regional arenas such as Lebanon, noting that some of the information circulating dates back to previous rounds of negotiations on the nuclear file, and has nothing to do with the current initiative.

Baghaei explained that the Iranian plan, which consists of 14 items, aims to end the war comprehensively, stressing that what is published in some foreign media is "baseless" in the draft initiative.

"There are no nuclear negotiations at the current stage," the Iranian official stressed, denying reports of Iranian commitments to demining or U.S. involvement in this framework, describing these allegations as "media fabrications."

Regarding guarantees, Baghaei said his country relies on its "own capabilities and the pressure cards it possesses," referring to Tehran's position on any future arrangements.

He revealed that the United States submitted its response to the initiative through the Pakistani mediator, noting that Tehran is studying this response.

Media reports had said that the Iranian proposal includes multiple phases, including a comprehensive ceasefire, regional security arrangements, and the gradual opening of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as future discussions on uranium enrichment and the lifting of sanctions, but Tehran has categorically denied these details.

Trump: Contradictory statements about Iran's nuclear program

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that extracting uranium from Iran will be complicated and time-consuming, following last year's U.S. strikes on nuclear sites inside Tehran.

He wrote on his platform Truth Social that Operation Midnight Hammer, the name given by Washington to the strikes, led to "the complete and comprehensive destruction of Iran's nuclear dust sites," adding, "Therefore, it will be a long and difficult process to extract."

He has repeatedly used the term "nuclear dust" on more than one occasion when talking about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, a file that Washington accuses Tehran of working on with the aim of building an atomic bomb.

The term has also been used in other contexts to refer to material left over after U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June last year.

The 79-year-old president stressed that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium would eventually be handed over to the United States, although Iran's Foreign Ministry denied there were any similar plans.

What are the terms of the Iranian initiative?

The Iranian initiative consists of 14 items that constitute a political and security framework to end military operations in the region within 30 days, and is based on a comprehensive ceasefire that includes all fronts, including the Lebanese front, in addition to addressing economic files by lifting the naval blockade on Iranian ports, guaranteeing freedom of export, and releasing frozen assets.

The initiative also includes security demands related to the withdrawal of US forces from areas adjacent to the Iranian border and the provision of guarantees against the recurrence of attacks, in addition to consolidating Tehran's sovereignty over its territorial waters while regulating the security of navigation according to its conditions, within a specific timetable that ensures the seriousness of implementation.

Iran asserts that these proposals are purely political and security in nature, and do not include any commitments related to its nuclear program or missile capabilities, which is the main focus of the dispute with the American side.

The Trump administration's position on the initiative

Washington describes the 14-point initiative as "unacceptable" as a result of a deep gap in priorities between the two sides, as the US administration believes that the essence of the Iranian proposal ignores the files that Washington considers essential. The initiative, Tehran asserts, is limited to the security and military aspects of ending the war and postpones the discussion on the nuclear program to later stages, which the Trump administration sees as an attempt to separate the two tracks and put forward an agreement that does not include any immediate restrictions on uranium enrichment.

The dispute widens when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is adhering to a new mechanism that grants it full sovereignty over the sea lane and allows the imposition of transit fees on non-American and Israeli vessels, while Washington insists on the full and immediate opening of the strait without any restrictions, and has already begun steps to escort ships militarily to break what it considers an Iranian blockade.

The disparity extends to the comprehensiveness of the fronts, as Tehran links the cessation of the war to the cessation of Israeli operations in Lebanon, while Washington believes that the inclusion of the Lebanese front in the negotiation track complicates the solution and must be dealt with separately in order to ensure Israel's security first. The United States also rejects Tehran's demands for financial compensation and legal guarantees to prevent any future aggression, considering that the conditions on the ground do not require it to make such concessions.

In addition, there is a clear U.S. objection to  Iran's 30-day deadline  for implementing the deal, as Washington sees it as an attempt to impose conditions under unrealistic time pressure.

While Iran presents its initiative as a "roadmap for a solution" that ends the war and restores regional stability, Washington views it as a unilateral list of demands aimed at lifting sanctions and easing pressure without making the substantive concessions demanded by the administration regarding the nuclear file and regional influence.