Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights

TEHRAN – Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has firmly ruled out any agreement with the United States unless the rights of the Iranian people are fully guaranteed, signaling a major hurdle in ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East conflict that erupted on February 28.

In a video broadcast on state television on Sunday, Ghalibaf declared, “We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld.” He added that Tehran’s negotiating team “neither trust the enemy’s words nor its promises,” underscoring a deep and persistent distrust of US guarantees that has defined the Islamic Republic’s bargaining stance for decades.

The强硬 Iranian position comes as the White House pushes forward with a revised proposal. On Saturday, The New York Times and Axios reported that US President Donald Trump returned a draft framework to Tehran with “tougher” terms than previously discussed. According to US officials cited by Axios, the revisions focus on stricter clauses regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz —a chokepoint through which nearly 20% of global oil passes. One senior official said the changes include “more specifics about how the US gets the material and the timing” regarding Iran’s nuclear activities. President Trump, while publicly expressing a desire for a deal, has kept military action on the table. “We are making a great deal; otherwise we’ll just go back and finish it off militarily,” Trump told Fox News this week.

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Tehran has laid out a clear list of rights it says must be enshrined in any final agreement. First among these is sanctions relief: Iran demands the lifting of all US economic sanctions imposed since 2018, as the Iranian rial has lost over 80% of its value under the current regime of restrictions. Second, Tehran is seeking the release of approximately $12 billion in frozen assets held in banks abroad, which it views as Iranian property unlawfully withheld. Third, since the war began on February 28, Iran has maintained tight military and naval control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei recently stated that future management of the waterway “concerns only Iran and Oman,” and local media reports indicate a parliamentary plan to codify Iranian sovereignty over the strait is imminent.

Despite the tough rhetoric, a draft 60-day truce memorandum of understanding (MOU) had reportedly been agreed upon by negotiators from both sides pending Trump’s approval. The MOU allegedly includes provisions for mine clearance by Iran, the reopening of the strait, and preliminary discussions on sanctions relief. However, Trump’s decision to return the framework with tougher conditions has introduced fresh delays. Iranian officials are expected to issue a formal response within approximately three days. Meanwhile, a ceasefire that has largely held since April 8 remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

The stalemate has kept the entire Middle East on edge. The war that began on February 28 has already displaced over 1.2 million people, according to UN estimates, and has drawn in proxy forces from Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. A failure to reach a deal could trigger a wider regional conflagration, while a successful agreement—however unlikely under current terms—would reshape Gulf security and global energy markets.

Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights

US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

Fresh fears of renewed conflict in the Middle East have emerged after the United States warned it is fully prepared to restart military operations against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce a peace agreement.

The warning came as efforts to secure a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran remain uncertain, despite reports that an initial ceasefire extension framework is awaiting final approval from President Donald Trump.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Washington has the military capacity to resume hostilities if necessary.

He said the United States remains fully equipped to launch fresh strikes, stressing that American military stockpiles are strong enough to sustain operations both in the Middle East and across other global theatres.

The comments signalled growing pressure on Tehran as diplomatic negotiations continue behind closed doors.

The warning followed a two-hour high-level meeting held by President Trump and senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room on Friday to assess a proposed framework aimed at extending the current ceasefire by 60 days.

US officials familiar with the talks said the draft agreement remains under review, with Trump yet to make a final decision.

The White House has maintained that any US-Iran peace deal must meet Trump’s strict red lines, including a permanent guarantee that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping.

A White House official said Trump would only approve a deal that protects American strategic interests and prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

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The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime oil routes, has become a central point of contention in the talks.

The waterway carries nearly one-fifth of global oil shipments, and its disruption has triggered market instability, pushed up oil prices and raised fears of wider economic consequences.

As part of the proposed framework, Trump has reportedly demanded that Tehran remove naval mines from the waterway and guarantee toll-free commercial access.

The proposal would also reportedly require cooperation on dismantling Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, while the United States would ease certain restrictions affecting Iranian shipping and port access.

However, Tehran has sharply rejected several of Washington’s demands.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei insisted no final agreement had been reached and dismissed what he described as attempts to impose conditions on the Islamic Republic.

He said Iran had long rejected the language of ultimatums and confirmed that indirect diplomatic exchanges were still ongoing through regional mediators.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly told Qatar’s Emir during a phone conversation that Tehran remains willing to pursue what he called a “dignified framework” for peace, provided Iran’s sovereignty is respected.

Meanwhile, Iranian state-linked media challenged several claims made by Trump regarding the negotiations.

The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that Tehran is demanding the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets before agreeing to the next phase of discussions.

The report also denied claims that Iran had agreed to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or surrender control over its nuclear material.

Military tensions have further complicated the fragile diplomacy.

Recent US airstrikes on Bandar Abbas, a strategic southern Iranian port, were met with retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks, raising fears that both nations could slide back into direct conflict.

Regional efforts to broker a durable ceasefire are being led by Pakistan, with support from Qatar and Oman, while parallel negotiations continue over the conflict in Lebanon, which Iran insists must form part of any broader settlement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added another layer of complexity by announcing that Israeli forces had expanded military operations, even as military delegations from both countries held separate consultations in Washington.

For many ordinary Iranians, the mixed signals from both sides have created uncertainty over whether peace is genuinely close.

A resident of Tonekabon in northern Iran said public statements from Washington and Tehran appear designed more to satisfy domestic audiences than reflect actual progress at the negotiating table.

Analysts say the next few days could prove decisive as negotiators attempt to bridge deep divisions over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, regional security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Gulf.

With tensions still high, the prospect of renewed military confrontation remains a serious concern for global markets and regional stability.

US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted in US for Sexually Abusing Women Seeking Spiritual Help

A Texas jury has convicted former Nigerian Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexually assaulting women who sought spiritual guidance, bringing to a close a closely watched criminal trial that exposed years of alleged abuse of trust and clerical authority.

The 57-year-old was found guilty on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault after jurors deliberated for about two hours in Waco, Texas, on Friday.

The jury, made up of eight women and four men, reached the verdict after hearing testimony from two women who accused the former priest of exploiting his role as a spiritual adviser to initiate and sustain abusive sexual relationships during periods when they were emotionally vulnerable.

The conviction means Odiong now faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree charge, while each second-degree conviction carries a prison term of between two and 20 years. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday before the same jury.

The case drew widespread public attention after multiple women accused the former cleric of using his religious authority to manipulate parishioners under his pastoral care.

During the trial, one of the complainants, identified in court as Mary Doe, testified that Odiong began sexually abusing her while serving as her spiritual adviser as she struggled through a difficult divorce and cared for seven children.

She told the court the abuse continued for years and recounted how one of her sons once walked in on them having sexual intercourse in her bedroom following a family gathering.

According to courtroom testimony, when confronted, Odiong allegedly attempted to justify the encounter by telling her, “We are but men.”

A second complainant, identified as Jane Doe, told jurors she sought spiritual counselling from Odiong while trapped in an abusive marriage.

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She testified that he pressured her into permitting painful sexual acts with her husband and later demanded detailed accounts of those encounters during counselling sessions.

Prosecutors argued that the conduct constituted sexual assault under Texas law, which criminalises sexual exploitation by clergy members who abuse positions of trust over vulnerable individuals receiving spiritual or emotional guidance.

A third accuser was expected to testify but prosecutors dropped that portion of the case after describing her emotional state as extremely fragile.

They said they chose not to compel her appearance in court due to concerns over her psychological wellbeing.

Both women testified that they met Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco, a church frequented by students and employees of Baylor University, placing them within his pastoral reach.

Jurors also heard evidence that DNA testing established Odiong fathered a child in 2023 with Presley Jones, a woman he had also reportedly counselled spiritually while serving as pastor of St Anthony of Padua Church in Louisiana.

Although Louisiana prosecutors did not pursue charges because the state lacks a clergy sexual assault law similar to Texas, prosecutors in the Waco trial presented the evidence to demonstrate what they described as a broader pattern of sexual exploitation involving women under his spiritual authority.

Odiong, originally ordained in Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Uyo in 1993, served in churches across Texas, Louisiana and Florida before church authorities suspended him following mounting allegations.

The allegations first became public in 2024 following investigative reports that detailed accusations of sexual coercion, unwanted touching and financial manipulation involving women under his pastoral care.

Authorities later identified additional complainants, strengthening the prosecution’s case despite the age of some of the allegations.

Court observers reported that Odiong showed little visible emotion as Judge Thomas West read the verdict.

He reportedly stared straight ahead before lowering his head as deputies escorted him from the courtroom.

The conviction marks a significant moment in efforts to hold clergy accountable for abuse of trust and power within religious institutions.

Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted in US for Sexually Abusing Women Seeking Spiritual Help