Iran warns of a 'big surprise'

US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. Photo: THX/VNA

According to three officials quoted by the New York Times, U.S. President Donald Trump has added tougher conditions to the framework of a potential agreement to end the war with Tehran, and has sent the revised text to Iran for review.

President Trump's main concerns center on the terms relating to the release of frozen Iranian assets, a mechanism he has repeatedly criticized in reference to the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under President Barack Obama, as well as Iran's speed of response to U.S. proposals brokered through intermediaries, including Pakistani officials.

A White House official later said President Trump “will only sign an agreement that benefits the United States, meets his red lines, and ensures that Iran will never be able to possess nuclear weapons.”

Hours after the above information emerged, on May 31, the Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Iran would retaliate similarly by making its own amendments to the agreement.

The back-and-forth battle over the agreement text.

According to the Turkish newspaper Today, May 31st, the blunt warning from Iran's acting Defense Minister, published on the same day in Tasnim, comes as Tehran has indicated it has no intention of accepting Washington's amendments without responding.

The statement did not elaborate, but the use of the phrase "new surprises" suggests that Iran views this exchange as a tool for pressure and bargaining, rather than simply a procedural step in the negotiation process.

The latest developments mark another setback in negotiations that have been erratic and constantly interrupted, as both sides offer differing interpretations of what should be included in any agreement before a final document is completed.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks in Tehran. Photo: THX/VNA

The agreement is still controversial.

The Trump administration repeatedly demanded stricter guarantees regarding Iran's nuclear materials, particularly on how and when to handle its stockpiles of enriched uranium, considering this a condition for reaching an agreement.

Iran has objected to some of these demands, while Iranian state media previously described some of the US positions as contrary to previously discussed terms.

On May 31, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of the country's negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared that Tehran would not agree to any deal with the United States until it was certain that the rights of the Iranian people were guaranteed, and stated that military achievements were the foundation for any subsequent diplomatic outcome.

While Iran has stated it will continue to propose further changes and Washington's revised terms are still under consideration by Tehran, the prospects for reaching an agreement remain unclear as the new week begins.

Officials said the exchange of feedback between the two sides could last for several more days, leaving the framework agreement in limbo as both governments continue to defend their positions on the core terms.