Iran Submits Counter-Amendments, Rejects Trump's Ceasefire Changes

Iran has submitted formal counter-amendments to a draft memorandum of understanding being negotiated with the United States, explicitly rejecting revisions that Washington proposed earlier in the day, according to a report published Sunday evening by Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s semi-official wire service.

“Trump’s proposed amendments should not be interpreted as having been accepted by Iran,” an unnamed Iranian source told Tasnim, as cited by Middle East Eye. The statement amounts to Tehran’s clearest public signal yet that the two sides remain far apart on the terms of any agreement to end hostilities and lift the Hormuz blockade.

The Breakdown in Text

The exchange of amendments follows a day of intensifying diplomatic signaling. Earlier Sunday, Washington sent a revised set of terms back to Tehran that sources described as toughened on several key issues left unresolved in earlier drafts. Iran’s counter-submission Sunday evening represents the latest move in what has become a back-and-forth over the foundational text of any potential deal.

The specific language of either side’s amendments has not been made public. Neither the White House nor Iran’s foreign ministry had issued official statements on the counter-proposal by the time of publication.

Araghchi: Differences Remain, Talks Continue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a cautious assessment of where negotiations stand, describing the situation as too fluid to judge. “It is too early to draw conclusions about the ongoing talks,” Araghchi said, according to Middle East Eye. He acknowledged that discussions are continuing “behind the scenes” but warned that media speculation about an imminent deal amounted to conjecture.

Araghchi’s framing is consistent with Iran’s broader posture throughout the ceasefire period: maintain the appearance of engagement while keeping domestic hardliners on side by signaling that no concessions are being made in secret.

Domestic Pressure From Parliament

That domestic dimension was on full display earlier Sunday when Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf weighed in publicly. Qalibaf said Iran would not accept any deal with the United States unless it produced “tangible results for the Iranian nation,” according to Middle East Eye. The statement carries weight: Qalibaf leads a legislature that includes significant factions hostile to any normalization with Washington, and his intervention signals the executive cannot simply accept U.S. terms without visible political cover.

An IRGC deputy commander also warned publicly that the United States must accept Iran’s “sovereign rights” or the conflict would continue, according to the Express Tribune. The statement reflects a pattern of parallel pressure the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has maintained throughout the ceasefire — keeping military leverage visible while diplomats work the text.

Where Talks Stand

The counter-amendment exchange keeps negotiations technically alive but underscores the distance between the two sides on the substance of any deal. The draft MOU has reportedly addressed areas including nuclear activity limits, sanctions relief sequencing, and the status of the Hormuz blockade — but the parties have not publicly confirmed which provisions remain in dispute.

Iran’s military posture offers some context for its negotiating position. The IRGC has reopened strike-damaged missile bases and signaled it is reconstituting capabilities that were degraded in the initial exchange of strikes. At the same time, Iran has partially restored output at South Pars gas platforms in the Gulf, a move that could reflect either confidence in an eventual settlement or a bid to relieve economic pressure without making formal concessions.

The window for a deal before U.S. patience runs out — or before Iranian domestic politics harden further — remains difficult to gauge. Araghchi’s own warning against reading too much into the talks may be the most accurate summary available: the outcome is genuinely unresolved.

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