Its Revolutionary Guards also said on Monday they attacked groups linked to the United States and Israel inside the Iranian province of Kurdistan near the border with Iraq who they said were attempting to smuggle US weapons into Iran.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari told reporters that Doha, one of Iran’s main targets in the war, believes “more time” is needed for ongoing Pakistani mediation efforts to advance Iran-US talks.
‘Extreme’ situations
Also, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had responded to the latest US proposal which Iranian media described as “excessive” and offering “no concrete concessions”.
On Sunday, Iran’s Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list, which included demands on Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.
Fars said the US had refused to release “even 25 percent” of Iran’s assets frozen abroad or provide any compensation for war damages.
The report said the US has also made it clear that it will end hostilities only if Tehran joins formal peace talks.
However, Iran has said it stands by its demands, which include the release of seized assets, the lifting of long-standing sanctions imposed on the country and war reparations.
But later, Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying that the United States had made a new step forward in the latest text and agreed to waive oil sanctions while talks continue.