Iran’s Baghaei — “Deep and Extensive Differences Remain”; Hopes Tempered
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei tempered expectations of a breakthrough on Friday, saying that “deep and extensive” differences remain between Washington and Tehran. “We cannot necessarily say we have reached a point where a deal is near,” Baghaei said, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. The Qatari delegation was holding talks with Foreign Minister Araghchi, Baghaei confirmed, while Pakistan remained the main mediator. Baghaei added that the focus of the current negotiations was ending the war and that nuclear details were “not being discussed at this stage” — consistent with Iran’s position that war-end guarantees must precede detailed nuclear talks.
The Baghaei framing is in direct contrast to Trump’s earlier-week “begging for a deal” line and to Vance’s “a lot of progress” framing. It is consistent with the Institute for the Study of War’s assessment that nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz remain the two binding sticking points: Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei’s directive on Wednesday that the highly enriched uranium stockpile “should not leave the country” remains operative. Reuters reports Iran has not yet submitted a response to the latest US proposal as multiple mediators — Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt — continue to narrow gaps. Iranian media reported on 21 May that the proposal text has narrowed some gaps “to some extent”, but further progress depends on whether the United States moves away from military threats.