Iran wary of US intent as Trump ‘toughens deal’
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• Ghalibaf demands tangible results instead of ‘words and promises’; Araghchi confirms both sides are ‘exchanging messages’
• Trump proposes more changes to draft, claims Iran agreed to forgo nuclear ambitions
• IRGC maintains Tehran in stronger position after ‘shooting down’ US drone
• Gas production resumes at three offshore platforms in South Pars gas field
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: After US President Donald Trump proposed more changes to a ‘largely negotiated’ deal, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran did not trust Washington, and demanded tangible outcomes instead of “words and promises”.
Speaking at a virtual session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly held in the morning, he said, “There is no trust in the enemy’s words and promises. Our only criterion is to achieve tangible results before we fulfil our commitments in return.”
“We will not approve any agreement until we are sure” that the decision protected the rights of the Iranian people, he was quoted as saying by the Iranian media.
After the speaker’s remarks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that talks and message exchanges with the United States are ongoing.
“We should not give importance to speculation and we can not judge the talks until we get to a clear result,” Araghchi added.
The comments from Iranian officials came amid reports in the American media that President Trump proposed more changes to “toughen” the deal.
According to CNN, the president insisted “on tougher language surrounding Iran’s nuclear commitments and its pledge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz”. One foreign official familiar with the matter told CNN that the changes were not substantive and mostly centred on a US desire for assurances on those issues, the media outlet reported.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s changes involved toughening the terms of the deal, and has sent the new framework back to be considered by Iran, according to officials familiar with the proceedings. The report said it was not immediately clear what the changes entailed, but news site Axios reported President Trump wanted to reinforce multiple points of the deal that he personally felt were important, such as what is done to Iran’s nuclear material.
In an interview on Fox News, Donald Trump said the US was “close to a very good deal” with Iran to end the war. However, he added: “If you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal, and slowly but surely, we’re getting, I think, what we want — and if we don’t get what we want, we’re going to end it a different way.”
President Trump also said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons. “The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They’ve agreed to that, and it was very interesting,” he told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump in the Fox News interview.
“We’ve actually left their military alone — people would be surprised to hear that.” President Trump said Iran’s military hasn’t been hit as aggressively because it’s “somewhat moderate” compared to other elements of the regime. He said that wiping out “everybody” could cause a country to be unable to rebuild for generations.
‘Strategic miscalculation’
A top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, meanwhile, said Iran’s enemies made a strategic miscalculation in assessing Iran’s capabilities and resolve, arguing that Tehran emerged in a stronger position while the United States faced decline and failure.
Speaking to IRNA last night, IRGC Deputy for Political Affairs Yadollah Javani said the enemies had incorrectly assumed they could achieve a quick victory by imposing war on the Iranian nation.
The enemies’ strategic objectives included destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities, eliminating its missile defence capacity, and ultimately overthrowing the Islamic Republic, he said, adding that those goals failed, resulting in a shift in regional equations in Iran’s favour.
Javani said the US must choose between accepting the conditions and rights of the Iranian people or continuing the war.
The IRGC also claimed to have shot down a US drone that entered Iran’s territorial waters. Iran’s IRIB broadcaster, carried a statement from the IRGC which said the MQ1 drone “attempted to carry out a hostile operation”.
“It was immediately detected and targeted by the Revolutionary Guard’s modern defence missiles and shot down,” it said.
Pars gas field
Moreover, Iran restored gas production at three offshore platforms in the South Pars gas field that had been forced to halt output after Israeli attacks disrupted processing capacity at some onshore facilities.
Pars Oil and Gas Company CEO Touraj Dehqani said the platforms had not been damaged, adding that the production from the three platforms was being routed to other processing plants in the region while repairs continue at damaged facilities, including Phase 14 refinery.
With a peace deal in sight that could end the blockade of Iranian ports, Iran’s parliament deputy speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei stated that planning for the coming months should be based on the assumption that the siege of its ports would continue and should not be affected by “possible partial openings by the enemy”.
“We are encircling the enemy’s economic siege, and we must vigorously pursue and activate alternative routes and land corridors.”
Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026
