United Nations: Iran has said it will not make concessions on its nuclear programme even if the United States accepts its proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran would show no flexibility on key parts of its nuclear position. The official said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States met Iran's conditions.
The position highlights the difficulty facing the latest diplomatic efforts. Iran has proposed a seven day framework under which the strategically important waterway would be reopened and nuclear talks would resume after its conditions are met.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran had proposed an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, within seven days. Under the proposal, the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian funds and waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
In return, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and enter detailed negotiations over its nuclear programme.
The senior Iranian official said, however, that Iran would not give up what it considers its nuclear rights. These include uranium enrichment and keeping highly enriched uranium inside Iran. The official also rejected a US position calling for Iran to send highly enriched uranium out of the country.
The latest proposal comes after months of conflict between Iran and the United States, with the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of the dispute. The waterway is one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments.
The strait has become a central part of the diplomatic efforts, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade and Washington seeking the restoration of free navigation through the waterway.
US and Iranian representatives have been communicating through mediators in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. The discussions have focused on possible steps to end the conflict, but no agreement has been reached.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that he hoped an agreement with Washington could be reached before the US midterm elections on November 3.
The latest discussions follow a 60 day memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran in June. The earlier arrangement later collapsed amid disagreements over its terms.
The current proposal has a much shorter timetable. Under the proposal, hostilities would cease for seven days, with Iran then reopening the Strait of Hormuz if its conditions were met.
It remains unclear whether Washington has accepted those conditions or whether the two sides have agreed on how the proposed steps would be carried out.
The exact scope of the proposed ceasefire also remains unclear. Iranian officials have referred to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, but it is unclear how the proposal would apply to other conflicts involving Iran aligned groups in the region.
The nuclear issue remains particularly difficult because international inspectors still cannot fully verify the condition of Iran's nuclear facilities and nuclear material.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said it has not received the necessary information from Iran or been able to conduct in field verification activities at its declared nuclear facilities. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has said that the lack of access and information about Iran's nuclear material is a serious concern.
Grossi said on Friday that the IAEA would work with parties including Russia to seek a diplomatic solution that would allow inspectors to regain access to Iran's nuclear facilities.
The uncertainty also concerns Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent. The IAEA had estimated that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent before Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. It remains unclear how much of that material remains and where it is currently located.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons. Western countries and Israel have expressed concern about Iran's uranium enrichment because enrichment to 60 percent is far above the level normally required for civilian nuclear uses, although it remains below the roughly 90 percent level generally associated with weapons grade uranium.
Iranian authorities have previously indicated that Iran could agree to dilute some of its most highly enriched uranium. The latest Iranian position, however, indicates that Tehran is not prepared to give up its broader position on uranium enrichment.
The United States has maintained that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.
For now, the two sides remain engaged in diplomacy but divided over the conditions and sequence for ending the conflict.
The latest Iranian proposal represents a more detailed diplomatic framework, but not a final agreement. The reopening of Hormuz, the future of Iran's nuclear programme, the restoration of IAEA access and the wider ceasefire all remain unresolved.