Mousavian: Iran-US agreement faces three major obstacles

Tehran - BORNA - Mousavian evaluated the current stalemate and the reasons behind the failure to reach a lasting agreement.

Washington seeks Iran's "Surrender"

When asked about Donald Trump's recent rejection of Iran’s peace proposal as "unacceptable," Mousavian identified three primary obstacles:

"First, the U.S. is seeking an agreement that effectively amounts to Iran's surrender, whereas Iran is not a nation that surrenders. Second, Iran insists that any nuclear deal must be based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of which both countries are members. However, the U.S. demands an agreement outside the NPT framework, such as the dismantling of Iran's nuclear facilities—similar to the Libya model—or the transfer of enriched uranium stockpiles abroad," Mousavian stated.

He emphasized that these demands are a "clear violation of international law," as there is no legal basis to force an NPT member to dismantle its peaceful nuclear program.

"Third," he added, "Iran seeks a deal that effectively ends the war, while the U.S. seems to prefer an agreement that keeps the door open for future military action. This includes the continuation of Israeli operations in Lebanon. These three points are the most significant hurdles."

High level of resilience in Iranian society

Addressing reports of severe economic pressure on the Iranian people, the former negotiator acknowledged the reality of high inflation and unemployment but pointed to Iran's historical endurance.

"If we look at the past 47 years, Iran has consistently faced sanctions, foreign pressure, cyberattacks, and even an eight-year war of aggression by Saddam Hussein, yet it has resisted. Therefore, the level of resilience in Iranian society is high," Mousavian noted, while admitting that a prolonged crisis would inevitably exacerbate socio-economic challenges.

Iran never abandoned the path of diplomacy

Regarding the lack of trust in U.S. diplomacy, Mousavian explained that Tehran’s distrust is rooted in historical experience, specifically citing the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 despite Iran's full compliance.

"Iranians have always emphasized they do not trust the U.S., yet they have never abandoned the path of diplomacy," he said. He highlighted that in 2025 and 2026, negotiations reached advanced stages but were disrupted by U.S. military actions.

Mousavian concluded by noting that while regional mediators—including Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia—continue to encourage a political solution, "reaching an agreement will remain extremely difficult as long as those three core issues are not resolved."

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