TEHRAN: Iran on Monday said it had made “legitimate” demands in its latest formal response to the United States’ peace proposal after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s reply as “totally unacceptable”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s response called for an end to the war across the region, the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets held abroad.
Speaking during a weekly press briefing, Baqaei said Iran had not demanded any concessions from Washington. “The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” he stated.
According to Baqaei, Iran’s demands included “an end to the war in the region”, the lifting of what he described as the US blockade and “piracy”, as well as the release of Iranian assets that had been “unjustly trapped in foreign banks” for years.
He added that Iran also sought safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and the establishment of security in the region and Lebanon, describing Tehran’s position as a “generous and responsible offer for regional security”.
Baqaei accused Washington of continuing to maintain “unreasonable” and one-sided demands during the negotiations.
According to remarks reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the Iranian spokesperson warned that any interference in the affairs of the Strait of Hormuz would further “complicate” the situation. He stressed that the real issue remained what he described as the “aggressive actions” of the United States and Israel.
Iran’s semi-official ISNA also quoted Baqaei as saying that European countries should not allow themselves to be drawn into a regional crisis due to pressure from Washington or Israel.
“We have conveyed this very clearly to European countries that they should not allow the temptations of the United States and the Zionist regime in regional issues to cause them to be unintentionally drawn into a crisis that will not benefit them,” he said.
Baqaei further confirmed that Pakistan continued to serve as the mediator in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
“The mediator in the negotiations is still Pakistan, and Islamabad will continue its activities in this regard as an official mediator. Other countries, including Qatar, also have relations with both sides and have ideas and opinions that they will present whenever they deem necessary,” he said.
The Iranian spokesperson also criticised the continued US presence in the Middle East, saying it had contributed to “a cycle of violence and bullying” in the region.
He emphasised that regional security should be maintained by countries within the region themselves through stronger collective trust and cooperation.
“Recent events have shown that security that relies on the presence of foreign forces in the region will only exacerbate insecurity and will not bring stability to our region,” he added.
Iran’s defence of its response, which was reportedly conveyed through Pakistan on Sunday, came only hours after Trump publicly rejected it.
Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” without sharing details of Tehran’s proposal.
Trump’s rejection triggered a rise in global oil prices on Monday amid fears that the 10-week-old conflict could continue and further disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Days after Washington floated a proposal aimed at restarting negotiations, Iran on Sunday issued a response focused on ending hostilities across the region, particularly in Lebanon, where Israel has continued bombardment despite a ceasefire.
Iranian state television reported that Tehran also demanded compensation for war-related damages and reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian officials, Tehran proposed that the current phase of negotiations should focus primarily on ending military hostilities in the region, while more contentious issues such as sanctions relief and the nuclear dispute could be discussed at later stages.
Another Iranian source said Tehran’s response had been positive and that the next move now rested with Washington. The source expressed hope that the exchange could pave the way for renewed dialogue in the coming days.
The official also stated that Iran’s response enjoyed broad political consensus within the country.