Iran said on Monday that it would soon submit a new proposal for a nuclear deal with the United States via Oman, as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog raised concerns over Tehran’s ongoing violations of and lack of compliance with international nuclear standards.

Speaking at a press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that the Islamist regime will soon present its own nuclear proposal after rejecting a previous offer from Washington.

“We strongly recommend the American side not to waste this opportunity — it’s in their own interest to take it seriously,” the Iranian diplomat said.

With a sixth round of nuclear talks still uncertain, Baghaei stressed that uranium enrichment remains a “strategic necessity” for Iran’s nuclear industry and is crucial to the country’s national interests.

Commenting on the White House’s demand that Tehran reduce uranium enrichment down to zero, he said Iran’s stance serves as a deterrent “against excessive foreign demands” and “pressures that go beyond legal and international norms.”

“It cannot be said in any way that every country that engages in enrichment necessarily has a weapons program,” the Iranian diplomat said. “Currently, many countries, including some US allies, are engaged in enrichment but do not have any military or weapons programs.”

Last week, Iranian officials condemned Washington’s latest nuclear proposal as “unprofessional and untechnical,” criticizing it for its alleged failure to address sanctions relief — a key demand for Tehran under any deal with the US.

“Iran will never relinquish its natural rights,” Ali Shamkhnai, political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in an interview on Wednesday.

Washington’s draft proposal for a new nuclear deal was delivered by Omani officials — who have been mediating negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff — during last month’s talks in Rome.

After five rounds of talks, diplomatic efforts have yet to yield results as both adversaries clash over Iran’s demand to maintain its domestic uranium enrichment program — a condition that US President Donald Trump has publicly rejected.

Meanwhile, in its latest report on Iranian nuclear violations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, warned that the country’s continued accumulation of highly enriched uranium nearing weapons-grade levels poses a serious concern that cannot be ignored.

“Uranium enrichment per se is not a forbidden activity, which is something my Iranian counterparts always tell me,” IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said at a press conference following the agency’s Board of Governors opening meeting in Vienna on Monday.

“At the same time, when you accumulate and continue to accumulate, and you are the only country in the world doing this at a level very, very close to what is needed for a nuclear explosive device, then we cannot ignore it,” Grossi continued.

“There is no medical or civilian use for it. That is why it is important for us.”

The IAEA’s latest report reveals that, alongside numerous other violations, Iran has previously conducted multiple implosion tests — a crucial military capability for developing an atomic bomb.

At Monday’s press conference, Grossi also discussed a draft resolution from Western powers condemning Iran’s nuclear non-compliance.

He stressed that the resolution — put forward by the US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — represents the agency’s technical oversight responsibilities, not a political move to pressure Tehran.

However, Iran has strongly rejected the measure, accusing the agency of political bias and of advancing American interests.

Grossi also referenced the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which temporarily limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, explaining that even if the agreement were reinstated, it would no longer be sufficient to address the expanded scope and complexity of the country’s current nuclear activities.

“The JCPOA was designed to be applied to a very specific type of Iran program, which is completely different now,” he said. “Even if you wanted to revive it, it would not be enough because now they have new technologies.”

“We cannot wait for negotiations. We are an independent technical body. But if diplomacy succeeds, it will help reinforce cooperation,” Grossi continued.

The post Iran to Unveil Nuclear Counteroffer to US as IAEA Warns It ‘Can’t Ignore’ Tehran’s Uranium Enrichment first appeared on Algemeiner.com.