Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will not sign a peace agreement with the U.S. unless Iranian rights are secured [1].
This stance indicates a significant deadlock in nuclear negotiations, as Iran demands explicit safeguards to ensure its national sovereignty, and the protections of its citizens.
The statements were reported on Sept. 30, 2023 [1]. Ghalibaf spoke from Tehran during the ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions between the two nations. He said that the Iranian government requires guarantees that the U.S. will not violate the rights of the Iranian people as part of any formal arrangement [2].
"We will not sign any agreement with the United States until the rights of the Iranian people are fully secured," Ghalibaf said [1].
Tehran has expressed deep skepticism regarding the reliability of U.S. commitments. Ghalibaf said that the Iranian government cannot trust the U.S. to uphold its end of a deal without verifiable protections in place [2]. This lack of trust stems from a history of diplomatic friction and the perceived instability of U.S. foreign policy shifts.
"Tehran will not trust the United States unless it guarantees the protection of Iranian rights," Ghalibaf said [2].
The negotiator's comments suggest that the Iranian leadership views the protection of civil and national rights as a non-negotiable prerequisite for any peace deal. By linking a nuclear or peace agreement to these broader rights, Iran is attempting to create a framework that prevents future unilateral actions by the U.S. that could undermine Iranian sovereignty.
The current impasse highlights the difficulty of reaching a comprehensive agreement when fundamental trust is absent between the two powers. The demand for explicit safeguards remains a primary obstacle in the diplomatic process.
“"We will not sign any agreement with the United States until the rights of the Iranian people are fully secured."”
The insistence on secured rights serves as a strategic leverage point for Iran, shifting the conversation from purely technical nuclear constraints to broader geopolitical guarantees. By making the deal conditional on trust and rights, Tehran is signaling that it will not accept a limited agreement that leaves it vulnerable to future U.S. policy reversals.
