Iran-US Talks Stall Over Nuclear Demands, Israel Tensions

0:00It's April 19th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Canada News Today, your AI-powered local news. Iran's holding off on face-to-face talks with the U.S. right now, says their deputy foreign minister, Saeed Qatibzadeh, the big sticking point. America's pushing these maximalist demands, especially on Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. Qatibzadeh flat-out said, no way are they shipping any of that 970 pounds of nuclear material to the states. It's a total non-starter. Trump fired back Friday, claiming the U.S. would swoop in and grab all that nuclear dust from sites hit by last year's strikes. But Iran points to back-and-forth messages where the U.S. hasn't buzzed on what they call excessive asks. They're pushing for a solid framework agreement first before sitting down in person. Iranians are laser-focused on Washington's sanctions, labeling them economic terrorism aimed at sparking revolt back home. Saeed Qatibzadeh urged the U.S. to tackle those concerns head-on.

1:00Meanwhile, tensions with Israel over Lebanon are spilling in. Iran calls their strikes aggression and insists on stopping it for good. Things heated up when Israel hit Beirut after a shaky ceasefire claim. Iran shut the Shred of Hormuz in response, then reopened it once a truce kicked in their Friday. They say they negotiated in good faith, expecting the deal to cover Lebanon, too, but got burned. A new protocol is in the works to keep that straight open and safe for civilians ships as part of U.S. talks. Trump warns of a blockade and more strikes if no deal lands soon, so both sides are circling, waiting for that breakthrough.