Agency official says Iran's initial proposal was rejected; U.S. restates red lines as closed-door talks loom
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Summary
An agency official told reporters that Iran's earlier proposal was ‘‘fundamentally unserious’’ and rejected by the U.S.; the official said Iran offered a revised plan and that negotiations will proceed behind closed doors for two weeks while reaffirming that an end to enrichment remains a U.S. red line.
An agency official told reporters that Iran initially offered a "10 plan" that was "fundamentally unserious, unacceptable, and completely discarded," and said President Trump and his negotiating team rejected that proposal.
The official said Iran later offered "a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan" that the president and his team judged "a workable basis on which to negotiate" and to align with what the speaker called the U.S. "15 proposal." The official reiterated that the president's red line — ending Iranian enrichment in Iran — "has not changed."
The official said negotiations would proceed behind closed doors over the next two weeks, conditioned on the Strait of Hormuz remaining open. "These extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course of the next 2 weeks," the agency official said, and warned reporters not to run "narratives that have no basis."
The briefing included several claims advanced by the official, including that the United States military was "completely decimating Iran with each passing hour," and that press reports suggesting the original Iranian plan was acceptable to the United States were "false." The official framed both points as reasons the Iranians "acknowledged reality" and presented a revised offer to U.S. negotiators.
Direct quotes in the briefing included: "It was literally thrown in the garbage by president Trump and his negotiating team," and "Never underestimate president Trump's ability to successfully advance America's interests and broker peace." All quoted material is attributed to the agency official who spoke at the briefing.
The official said the negotiating team would focus on the effort "over the next 2 weeks" and that any deal "will only make a deal that serves in the best interest of the United States of America."
No independent evidence to corroborate the official's characterizations of the Iranian proposals or the stated effects of U.S. military action was presented in the briefing. The official also advised the media that Iran's public statements differ from what it communicates privately to U.S. negotiators.
The negotiations were described as ongoing and confidential; the official said there was no additional procedural detail and did not announce a public schedule for further sessions.
