Iran’s deputy foreign minister has signalled Tehran’s readiness for concessions to forge a nuclear deal with the United States, provided Washington tackles sanctions relief.
U.S. officials insist Iran stalls progress in the prolonged negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that President Donald Trump wants an agreement, though it remains “very hard to do” with Iran.
In a BBC interview in Tehran, Majid Takht-Ravanchi asserted the onus lies “in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal.”
“If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement,” he added.
Trump has threatened strikes if Tehran fails to curb its nuclear programme, as U.S. forces build up in the Middle East following Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests last month, which killed thousands according to rights groups.
Indirect talks restarted in Oman this February, with a second round set for Geneva on Tuesday. Takht-Ravanchi deemed them “more or less in a positive direction but it is too early to judge”—a view Trump shares.
Tehran offers to dilute its 60%-enriched uranium stockpile, near weapons-grade and a source of proliferation fears despite denials. “We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our programme if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” Takht-Ravanchi stated.
He called exporting over 400kg of highly enriched uranium “too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations.” Russia proposes storing low-enriched stocks again, as in the 2015 deal Trump quit.
Iran demands nuclear-only focus. “Our understanding is that they have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal you have to focus on the nuclear issue,” he noted. “The issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table anymore.”
Tehran rejects missile or proxy talks. “When we were attacked by Israelis and Americans, our missiles came to our rescue so how can we accept depriving ourselves of our defensive capabilities?” Takht-Ravanchi said.
Israel faces blame for past sabotage, like June’s raid sparking 12-day conflict. Recent U.S. envoy involvement, including Jared Kushner, boosts hope.
“We are hopeful we can do this through diplomacy, although we can’t be 100% sure,” Takht-Ravanchi said, stressing vigilance. “We will do our best but the other side also has to prove that they are also sincere.”