Tehran hardens stance — Iran's top negotiator says 'will not compromise' in talks
- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on May 23 that Tehran would not compromise in talks with the United States, state media reported. - West Texas Intermediate crude traded around $98.76 a barrel on May 21 as investors weighed uncertainty around Iran talks and Strait of Hormuz risks. - Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir was in Tehran on May 23 for mediation efforts, while Marco Rubio said on May 22 more work remained.
Iran’s top negotiator hardened Tehran’s public position on Saturday as Pakistan pressed ahead with mediation between Iran and the United States. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, in Tehran that Iran would not compromise on its national rights and could not trust Washington, according to Iranian state television. The remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some progress had been made in the talks but that the sides were “not there yet.” Oil markets have been tracking the diplomacy closely because the Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of dispute. ### Who said Iran would “not compromise,” and in what setting? Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and the country’s top negotiator in the current talks, made the comments during meetings in Tehran with Munir on May 23, according to Iranian state television as reported by CNBC and Al Jazeera. Qalibaf said the United States was “not an honest party” in the negotiations and that Iran would not compromise on its national rights. (cnbc.com) Qalibaf also said Iran would pursue its “legitimate rights” both through diplomacy and “on the battlefield,” according to the same reports. He added that if the United States “foolishly restarts the war,” the consequences would be “more forceful and bitter” than at the start of the conflict. ### Why is Pakistan in the middle of these talks? (cnbc.com) Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on May 23 as Pakistan continued to act as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. Reuters, in a May 22 report carried by other outlets, said Rubio described Pakistan as being in constant communication with the United States while facilitating the talks with Iran. (cnbc.com) Iranian state media said Munir also met President Masoud Pezeshkian and held discussions involving Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. IRNA reported earlier this week that Araghchi met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on May 21 and discussed the indirect Iran-U.S. negotiations. Al Jazeera reported that Qatar also sent a negotiating team to Tehran in coordination with the United States, underscoring that the diplomacy is running on several tracks at once. (al-monitor.com) ### What are the main sticking points now? Marco Rubio said on May 22 that the United States had seen “some progress” toward a deal but that more work was required. (cnbc.com) Reuters reported that the unresolved issues include Iran’s enriched uranium and control over the Strait of Hormuz. Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said the differences remained “deep and significant,” according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. (aljazeera.com) Rubio also said Iran’s proposed tolling system for the strait was “unacceptable” and that President Donald Trump had other options if diplomacy failed. ### Why did traders connect the comments to oil prices? (al-monitor.com) West Texas Intermediate futures traded at $98.76 a barrel and Brent at $105.42 by 08:09 GMT on May 21, according to a report citing Reuters market data. The move came as investors assessed uncertainty around the Iran talks alongside tightening supply and lower U.S. inventories. The Strait of Hormuz handled about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the conflict, according to the same report. (usnews.com) Because control of the waterway remains part of the negotiations, any sign that talks are stalling or hardening can feed directly into crude prices. That market link is an inference from the reported role of Hormuz in the talks and the price action in oil. (offshore-technology.com) ### What happens next in the diplomacy? May 23 meetings in Tehran centered on a 14-point Iranian document and messages exchanged between the two sides, according to Iranian state media as cited by CNBC. Reuters reported on May 22 that Pakistan and Qatar were both engaged in efforts to narrow the remaining gaps. Rubio said on May 22 that Washington would “keep trying,” while Baghaei said Munir’s visit did not mean the talks had reached a decisive stage. (offshore-technology.com) The next concrete signals are likely to come from further statements by Rubio, Araghchi, or Pakistani mediators, and from any movement on the Strait of Hormuz. (al-monitor.com) (cnbc.com)
