Iran highlights 'disagreements' with US, says won't discuss nukes

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson highlights 'fundamental disagreements' with the US as Pakistan's CDF visits Tehran. He says the focus is on ending the 'war', not nuclear details, and blames the US for the crisis post-JCPOA withdrawal.

Iran's Consulate General in Mazar-e-Sharif announced that Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei highlighted fundamental disagreements between both sides and reiterated the same position of the 14-point plan it provided to the US earlier.

Iran Reiterates Stance on Nuclear Program

"The reason we don't talk about the details of nuclear-related discussions is clear. We have done this twice, and the other party's greed led us into war. We cannot ignore this experience," said Baghaei, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

"Regarding nuclear issues, the matter is very clear - we are a member of the NPT [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] and we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," he added.

US Blamed for JCPOA Withdrawal, Regional Crisis

Mr. President, It is true that the current crisis confronting our region and the world stems directly from the United States’ unlawful and capricious withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018; It is also true that this imposed war could and should have been avoided; However, the UN… pic.twitter.com/6nDUg01d9Q — Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) May 22, 2026

Herr Präsident, es trifft zu, dass die gegenwärtige Krise, mit der unsere Region und die Welt konfrontiert sind, unmittelbar auf den rechtswidrigen und willkürlichen Ausstieg der Vereinigten Staaten aus dem JCPOA im Mai 2018 zurückzuführen ist; es trifft auch zu, dass dieser… pic.twitter.com/4YVgBi1Vos — Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) May 22, 2026

Negotiations with US 'Not Close'

Baghaei said that peace negotiations with the US are not "close", and it's difficult to say if a deal will be reached "over weeks or months". He said that the chasm between both nations is "deep and significant," as quoted by Al Jazeera.

"We cannot necessarily say that we have reached a point where an agreement is close," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

"The focus of the negotiations is on ending the war. Details related to the nuclear issue are not being discussed at this stage."

US Maintains Hardline Stance

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump had said, "Iran is dying to make a deal. We will see what happens, but we hit them hard and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it. So I promised to cut 10 old regulations, as you know, in my first term for every new regulation."

Contingency Planning for Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he engaged in consultations with NATO allies regarding potential contingencies associated with restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Addressing journalists at the ministerial summit in Helsingborg, Sweden, Rubio emphasised the necessity of operational readiness, remarking, "We have to have a plan B for if someone is shooting" in the critical maritime choke point. "At some point, ideally, they open the strait," Rubio observed in reference to Iran, before cautioning, "Plan B needs to be, what if Iran says, 'No, we refuse to open the Strait?'" (ANI)

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