Iran’s Chief Negotiator: US “Not to Be Trusted” as Trump Tougher Terms Land
Iran’s chief negotiator warned that the United States is “not to be trusted” following President Donald Trump’s tougher edits to the framework deal text. The negotiator said Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington that does not meet Iran’s core demands. Iran has not yet provided a formal response to the specific Trump edits on the enriched-uranium disposal pathway and Strait of Hormuz governance. The Hezbollah rejection of the Lebanon ceasefire Thursday materially complicates Iran’s position on framework re-engagement.
The framework as originally drafted would extend the ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls, lift the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, allow Iran to sell oil freely under sanctions waivers, and start new nuclear-programme talks. The two Trump edit areas — enriched-uranium disposal pathway and Hormuz governance — are the most structurally binding parts of the framework. Iran’s chief negotiator “not to be trusted” framing is consistent with the IRGC deputy’s Sunday “continue war” signal and the Tasnim “suspended indirect talks” announcement Monday. The earliest plausible signed-deal window has slipped from this week to next week given the Hezbollah complication.