Iran has formally rebuffed American demands for additional nuclear restrictions, state media reported on Monday, as British diplomats pursued separate talks with Tehran to salvage a diplomatic track.
The Office of the President in Tehran issued a statement rejecting calls for expanded International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access and further enrichment caps. The declaration came hours after the United States special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, concluded a two-day visit to the region, during which he pressed for a return to negotiations on a broader framework.
“Our red lines are clear. We will not accept any obligations beyond the 2015 agreement unless all sanctions are removed and verified,” the Iranian statement said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the rejection as “predictable but disappointing”, adding that Washington remained open to dialogue.
British diplomats, however, appeared to chart a more conciliatory course. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that separate consultations with Iranian counterparts were ongoing in Muscat, Oman. A source familiar with the discussions said the UK aimed to “lobby for incremental confidence-building measures” without publicly confronting Tehran.
A former British ambassador to Tehran, now an analyst at Chatham House, noted: “The UK is likely trying to keep a channel open that Washington cannot easily maintain. This reflects the classic division: Washington demands, London negotiates.”
The standoff has intensified since the collapse of indirect US-Iran talks in June. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, Germany). Tehran has progressively exceeded enrichment limits since 2019, a year after the US withdrew from the deal under President Donald Trump.
Current IAEA reports indicate Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now more than 20 times the JCPOA limit, with enrichment levels reaching 60 per cent, close to weapons-grade.
European capitals, which have sought to mediate, face an increasingly complex scenario. French and German diplomats are expected to meet with their British counterparts in Brussels later this week to coordinate a joint position prior to the next IAEA Board of Governors meeting.
The Iranian rejection comes as domestic pressure mounts on President Ebrahim Raisi’s government. Hardliners in the Iranian parliament have demanded a halt to all inspections unless the US provides guarantees that it will not reimpose sanctions.
Analysts suggest the diplomatic impasse could lead to a cycle of escalation. A senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London warned: “If Iran continues to refuse any new commitments, the US and its allies may be forced to consider alternative mechanisms, including snapping back UN sanctions under the JCPOA’s dispute resolution process, though that option carries significant diplomatic risk.”
In a sign of the growing unease, the UK and France have reportedly agreed to deploy additional naval assets to the Persian Gulf in a move they describe as “defensive positioning”. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has responded by announcing new maritime exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.
The situation remains fluid. Diplomats in Oman said talks would continue, but expressed little optimism about a breakthrough. The British Foreign Secretary is expected to issue a statement later this week, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to a diplomatic solution while holding out the possibility of further sanctions if negotiations fail.
