Iran will present a “reasonable, logical, and balanced” counter-proposal to the United States through Oman, Tehran’s foreign ministry said on Monday, urging the US to seize the opportunity to engage seriously with Tehran.
During his weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei also reaffirmed Tehran’s right to uranium enrichment and warned of potential retaliatory steps if the West continues what it described as politicized pressure tactics.
“The American proposal does not reflect the outcomes of previous negotiations and cannot be considered a product of mutual understanding... It lacks the give-and-take required in a bilateral process,” Baghaei said.
“Any proposal that fails to consider the rights and interests of the Iranian nation—whether in peaceful nuclear energy including enrichment, or in providing effective guarantees for lifting cruel sanctions—is unacceptable to us ...
“We recommend that the American side seize this opportunity and review it seriously, as accepting it would benefit the United States.”
Earlier in the day, Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that Iran is expected to deliver a formal written response to the US proposal within the next two days.
Warning over IAEA resolution
Addressing the possibility of a resolution against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting which started on Monday, Baghaei accused the agency of yielding to political pressure from the US and the three European countries known as the E3, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
In March, the E3 issued a joint statement expressing concerns over Iran's nuclear activities, including unprecedented enrichment levels, advanced centrifuge deployment, lack of transparency and threats to non-proliferation.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always based its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its commitments under the NPT and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement,” Baghaei said.
“Unfortunately, the Agency, under the influence of political pressure, drafted what it called a ‘comprehensive report,’ which European countries then exploited to push for a resolution.”
He warned that “a confrontational response will certainly not lead to more cooperation.” Iran, he added, has prepared a series of steps and measures and will act in coordination with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and relevant bodies.
“No country has the right to dictate terms to Iran regarding its enrichment rights or issue licenses in this regard,” Baghai said, affirming that uranium enrichment is “an inseparable part of Iran’s indigenous nuclear fuel cycle and scientific identity.”
Referring to Article 4 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said, “This right is explicitly recognized for all signatory countries and is non-negotiable.”
The latest IAEA report, leaked to Western media late last month, concluded that Iran now possesses over 400 kg of 60%-enriched uranium—enough, if further enriched, to build approximately 10 nuclear weapons.
The report also cited ongoing Iranian non-cooperation on safeguards and expressed serious concern over the country’s continued enrichment at levels with no civilian justification.
No sanctions relief so far, Iran says
Baghaei dismissed recent reports that sanctions on Iran had been lifted. “As I said last week, the claim that sanctions have been halted is simply not true. In fact, a new set of sanctions was imposed just this week. This shows once again that the US is not serious.”
He criticized the “inconsistent and contradictory behavior of the United States, which simultaneously claims to seek dialogue while imposing fresh sanctions,” adding that such actions only increase Iran’s mistrust.
Iran’s nuclear posture
When asked about international concerns over a possible shift in Iran’s nuclear posture, Baghaei said that the country’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
“Even the IAEA’s latest report, despite its politically-motivated framing, does not mention any deviation from peaceful objectives,” he added.
No deal without sanctions relief
On whether Iran had addressed sanctions in the five previous rounds of talks, Baghaei said, “We have consistently emphasized the necessity of lifting oppressive sanctions in both the media and negotiations. How can an agreement be imagined without addressing this fundamental and legitimate demand?”
Sanctions since 2018 when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA nuclear deal, have since crippled Iran's economy with inflation at record highs since the founding of the Islamic Republic.
“The main demand of the Iranian nation—besides preserving nuclear achievements—is the effective removal of sanctions. If a proposal ignores these two core principles, it not only lacks seriousness but is also unacceptable to us," he added.
Snapback mechanism and security council
Baghai also downplayed the likelihood of the so-called “snapback” mechanism being triggered at the UN Security Council as the October deadline draws closer and the threat of the reimposition of sanctions looming.
“There is no legal basis or justification for the continued presence of Iran’s nuclear issue on the Security Council’s agenda after October 2025. Any move to the contrary is purely political.”
He added that the US and its allies had previously taken Iran’s file to the Security Council in 2006 “without any such mechanism, using fabricated pretexts.”
Iran accuses Europe of abandoning diplomacy
Baghaei said while efforts have been underway by Tehran, diplomatic dialogue with Europe is failing: “European opposition cannot be a motivation for cooperation. While we engaged in dialogue and held several rounds of talks, unfortunately the European side neither offered constructive proposals nor remained committed to the diplomatic path.”
Referring to the IAEA resolution being prepared by European countries and supported by the US, he warned, “All of these parties will be responsible for the consequences. Sadly, this behavior reflects a continuing confrontational and uncooperative approach.”
Addressing Trump’s recent executive order restricting entry to citizens from 12 countries including Iran, Baghai said it was another move to drive a wedge between the two nations, amid the sensitive nuclear talks.
“The US decision is based on a discriminatory and racist outlook, and is entirely rejected from both human rights and moral perspectives," he said.
“For us Iranians, this action is yet another clear sign of the depth of hostility the American government harbors toward the Iranian people. It violates fundamental principles of equality and justice, and the international community must respond decisively.”
Their accounts document a sprawling overseas network operating under direct orders from the Supreme Leader’s office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence arm well out of step with common diplomatic practice.
“Every embassy has a list. People to watch. People to engage. People to silence,” an Iranian former diplomatic employee told Iran International.
“It’s not foreign policy—it’s field execution,” another told Iran International. “The people sent abroad are on assignment, not appointment.”
Their account outlines a foreign service shaped not by diplomacy but by ideology, surveillance and illicit finance.
According to these individuals—whose names are withheld for their safety—Iran’s diplomatic missions double as intelligence gathering hubs tasked with tracking dissidents, surveilling student communities and delivering cash and equipment under the protection of diplomatic immunity.
UK authorities detained eight men in May, including three charged under the National Security Act for surveilling Iran International journalists on behalf of Tehran between August 2024 and February 2025.
It was not clear whether the charges related in any way to the Iranian embassy in London.
Iran’s foreign ministry denounced the charges as politically motivated, but former officials say such actions are core to the Islamic Republic’s overseas agenda.
Iran’s embassies maintain the outward structure of any diplomatic mission—ambassadors, attachés and advisers—but according to the sources, the roles often serve as cover.
“A person listed as a translator might actually coordinate funds for proxy groups,” said one of the former diplomats. “Titles are just for appearances.”
In one high-profile case, Iranian diplomat Asadollah Asadi used his status to transport explosives intended for an opposition rally in Paris. His 2021 conviction in Belgium exposed how far such dual roles can go.
Another ex-staffer recalled colleagues arriving in Istanbul and Baku with briefcases of undeclared dollars. “They know no one will search their bags,” he said.
Cultural attachés, especially those linked to the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, are said to organize religious events abroad that double as screening grounds for potential recruits.
Germany shuttered the Islamic Center of Hamburg in July over its ties to Tehran and what the Interior Ministry called promotion of extremism and antisemitism.
The diplomatic corps itself, sources say, is dominated by the sons of clerics and system insiders.
“Your father is a Friday prayer leader? Your uncle is close to the Supreme Leader? You’re in,” said one.
Posts rarely align with professional background; language skills and experience are often secondary to loyalty.
Though often expelled or exposed, the structure endures. Loyal staff are rotated across continents with little interruption.
“Each post is a mission. If you complete it to the system’s satisfaction, you’re held in reserve for the next,” one former diplomat said.
The network’s reach is enhanced by front organizations. The Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation has been linked to Hezbollah financing. The Iranian Red Crescent has faced accusations of being used by Quds Force operatives for weapons transport. IRGC members have admitted posing as aid workers during the Bosnian war.
IRIB outlets—Press TV, Al-Alam, Hispan TV—have functioned as propaganda arms and intelligence fronts. France expelled one of their journalists in 2011 for spreading state messaging.
The Iranian Red Crescent and the IRGC officially denied these remarks, saying that any such actions were unauthorized and not representative of their organizations.
Despite the rhetoric of resistance, many live in luxury. One former ambassador’s Paris residence cost over €40,000 per month.
“They send their kids to secular schools while preaching Islamic values,” said another. Leaked records show senior envoys receiving up to $12,000 monthly, with generous stipends and ceremonial budgets.
“It’s both reward and insulation,” an ex-diplomatic employee said. “The system buys loyalty with luxury—and distances them from the reality of ordinary Iranians.”
What emerges is not a diplomatic corps, but a global extension of Iran’s security state—trained, titled, and deployed to safeguard the Islamic Republic, not represent it.
Key to that mission, Congressman Cory Mills said, was enabling de facto president Ahmed al-Sharaa to scotch what remains of Iran's influence in Syria.
"What do we truly have to lose in this? You know, we know what we have to lose if they ... allow Iran to create a proxy state and what that means for the region and what that means for our allies," Mills said.
Syria’s new leadership is working to stamp out any Iranian activity on its soil, just months after a rebel advance led by al-Sharaa uprooted the Assad dynasty, Tehran's oldest Arab ally.
Damascus has been expelling proxy fighters, cutting off arms transfers to Hezbollah and pursuing new diplomatic partnerships across the region, including potential ties with Israel, Mills told Eye for Iran.
“He’s not allowing these proxy militias to continue to operate there as they did under the Assad regime,” Mills said.
Syria for Syrians
Mills argues this shift presents an opportunity for Washington to engage—both diplomatically and economically—before Russia, China or Iran move to fill the vacuum.
“If we actually open up the platform to allow for contract bidding, to rebuild infrastructure, that is a great first start,” he said, pointing to areas like water, electricity, and telecoms. “This is one of the most strategic geolocations in the entire region.”
Such engagement, he added, would not only counter authoritarian influence—it would create opportunities for American companies, reinforce regional stability, and help prevent Syria from sliding back into sectarian violence.
“The Iranian people could take a lot away from what has happened in Syria,” he said. “This could be them too. But it has to be an Iranian strategy, not an American strategy.”
Sanctions and Syria's new leadership
Until recently, Ahmed al-Sharaa was himself under US sanctions due to his leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Al-Qaeda affiliated group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
On May 13, 2025, President Donald Trump while visiting Saudi Arabia last month made a shock announcement that he was lifting US sanctions on Syria.
Mills stressed that engagement with al-Sharaa must come with clear-eyed realism. “Trust but verify,” he said during the interview. “I think he knows what he has to do. He’s already taken actions that are not just words.”
Diplomatic overtures and regional stability
Mills revealed that al-Sharaa expressed interest in normalizing relations with Israel—albeit cautiously. While no formal talks have begun, the signal alone marks a dramatic shift from the Assad era, which was defined by hostility toward Israel and alignment with Iran and Hezbollah.
“He actually said that we would look at a good relationship and partner with Israel—not the 'Zionist state' ... but he knows the risk that he's taking,” Mills said.
The potential for Syrian-Israeli normalization would echo the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered framework that reshaped parts of the Middle East by bringing Israel into diplomatic relations with several Arab states.
Mills said any future agreements must respect Syria’s sovereignty. “What I don’t support is a balkanization of other sovereign territories,” he said. “I think that good fences make good neighbors.”
The trip to Damascus, however, was not without danger. Mills told Eye for Iran that Islamic State had allegedly plotted to assassinate him while he was in Syria. “They had already put together where they were going to utilize a car bomb,” he said. “They had already put together the location.”
Despite the risks, Mills argued that Syria’s political realignment offers the United States a rare chance to help shape a post-war roadmap—one that sidelines Iran, opens new diplomatic channels and bolsters long-term regional stability.
You can watch the full episode of Eye for Iran with Congressman Cory Mills on YouTube or listen on any major podcast platform like Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Castbox.
