Iran willing to compromise on nuclear deal if U.S. lifts sanctions

[Financial News] The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated that it is ready to seek a compromise on a nuclear agreement, on the condition that the United States lifts its sanctions.
On the 15th (local time), Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with the BBC in Tehran, "If the United States shows genuine intent, we can reach an agreement," adding, "The ball is now in the U.S. court."
The United States and Iran held indirect talks in Oman earlier this month.
Takht-Ravanchi confirmed that a second round of talks will take place on the 17th in Geneva, Switzerland. He said the previous meeting "generally proceeded in a positive direction, but it is still too early to judge."
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted positively to the last round of talks.
He pointed to Iran’s proposal to dilute its 60% enriched uranium as evidence of its willingness to compromise.
This level of enrichment, which is close to weapons grade, has deepened suspicions that Iran is moving toward developing nuclear weapons. The Iranian side has consistently denied this.
Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC, "If the other side is ready to discuss sanctions, we are also prepared to discuss this issue related to our nuclear program, as well as other issues."
However, he did not clarify whether this would mean a complete lifting of sanctions or only a partial one.
Asked whether Iran would agree, as in the 2015 nuclear deal, to ship more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium abroad, Takht-Ravanchi added, "It is too early to say what will happen during the negotiations."
During the multilateral nuclear agreement in 2015, Russia received 11,000 kilograms of low-enriched uranium from Iran. Moscow has now indicated that it is willing to take in that material again.
Previous media reports have indicated that Iran is also considering a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment.
Takht-Ravanchi, who serves as Iran’s chief negotiator, stressed that the focus of the talks must be limited strictly to "nuclear issues." He said, "My understanding is that the other side (the United States), if it truly wants an agreement, has also come to the conclusion that it must concentrate solely on the nuclear issue."
In his BBC interview, Takht-Ravanchi drew a clear line, saying, "From Iran’s perspective, 'zero enrichment' is no longer on the table." This stance directly contradicts President Trump’s recent remark that he "does not want any enrichment at all," suggesting that difficult negotiations lie ahead.

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter