Al-Jarida reveals broad outlines of US response to '7-day' proposal
A high-ranking Iranian source told Al-Jarida that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian received the official U.S. response to the “Seven Days” proposal, which Tehran submitted through the Qatari mediator, after U.S. President Donald Trump had previously rejected it publicly.
Iran had announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received the U.S. response via the Qatari mediator. The source, a senior official in the Iranian president’s office, confirmed that Washington approved some provisions of the proposal while rejecting others, without disclosing the full content of the response. He stated that the core disagreement revolves around the sequencing of commitment implementation, as the U.S. administration insists that Tehran begin executing specific conditions before moving to reciprocal measures, thereby paving the way for resuming negotiations.
According to the source, the U.S. roadmap includes demands for Iran to stop obstructing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, freeze uranium enrichment, and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities throughout the negotiation period for a comprehensive agreement. In return, Washington commits to lifting sanctions on Iranian ports and suspending part of the sanctions, with the continuation of this suspension linked to Tehran’s behavior and its adherence to commitments.
After these steps are implemented, both sides will move to a ceasefire lasting throughout the negotiation period, alongside discussions on a comprehensive agreement addressing outstanding issues between them. The source clarified that the agreed-upon measures, according to the format presented by Washington, will remain in effect for the duration of the negotiations.
In Tehran, Pezeshkian convened an emergency preliminary meeting of the Supreme National Security Council to discuss the U.S. response, and called for additional meetings involving the heads of the three branches of government and security agency commanders, indicating the sensitivity of the proposed conditions and the potential scale of repercussions for any Iranian decision regarding them.
The source reported that representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps expressed reservations about the provision allowing inspectors access to nuclear facilities, considering that inspections might, in their view, serve as a cover for gathering intelligence on sites storing highly enriched uranium, with a view to targeting them after the upcoming U.S. midterm congressional elections in November.
The source added that this assessment reflects a dimension of security concerns within the Iranian establishment, noting that Tehran believes accepting inspection conditions and freezing enrichment before obtaining reciprocal guarantees could expose it to additional risks, without ensuring the achievement of a final agreement.
The source concluded that the U.S. demands, in their current form, would not be acceptable to Iran, pointing out that ongoing discussions in Tehran are focused on the sequencing of commitments and guarantees that could accompany any understanding, amid divergent assessments regarding the prospects of returning to negotiations.
