Iran Signals Willingness to Negotiate Nuclear Deal with US
Iran has expressed readiness to consider compromises in order to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States, contingent upon the US willingness to discuss the lifting of sanctions, according to an Iranian minister speaking to the BBC in Tehran.
US officials have consistently maintained that Iran is the party impeding progress in the prolonged negotiation process. On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that President Donald Trump preferred a deal but acknowledged that achieving one with Iran was "very hard to do."
In contrast, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, told the BBC that the responsibility now lies with the US to demonstrate a genuine desire to make a deal. He said:
"If they are sincere, I'm sure we will be on the road to an agreement."
President Trump has threatened military strikes against Iran if a deal to limit its nuclear program cannot be reached, while the US has increased its military presence in the region. This escalation followed Iran's harsh crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests last month, which human rights organizations report resulted in thousands of deaths.
Recent Talks and Upcoming Negotiations
The US and Iran conducted indirect talks in Oman earlier in February. Takht-Ravanchi confirmed a second round was scheduled for Geneva on Tuesday, describing the initial discussions as "more or less in a positive direction but it is too early to judge." President Trump has also characterized these talks as positive.
The deputy foreign minister highlighted Tehran's offer to dilute its uranium enriched to 60% as evidence of its willingness to compromise. This enrichment level, near weapons-grade, has intensified suspicions that Iran is advancing toward nuclear weapons development, a claim Iran consistently denies.
"We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our programme if they are ready to talk about sanctions,"
Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC, though he did not specify whether this implied lifting all or some sanctions.
Regarding whether Iran would agree to export its stockpile of over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, as was done under the 2015 nuclear deal, Takht-Ravanchi stated:
"It was too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations."
Russia, which accepted 11,000 kilograms of low-enriched uranium as part of the 2015 multilateral agreement—withdrawn from by Trump three years later—has offered to accept this material again.
Media reports have also mentioned Tehran's proposal to temporarily suspend nuclear enrichment.
Focus on Nuclear Issue and Iran's Red Lines
One of Iran's primary demands has been that negotiations concentrate solely on the nuclear issue. Takht-Ravanchi said:
"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."
If confirmed, this would mark significant progress, as Iran has viewed Washington's maximalist demand for zero enrichment as a barrier to any agreement. Iran considers such a demand a red line and a violation of its rights under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
"The issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table anymore,"
Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC. This statement contradicts President Trump's remarks as recently as Friday, when he said, "we don't want any enrichment."
Iran's negotiator also reaffirmed Tehran's refusal to discuss its ballistic missile program with American negotiators, a key demand of Israel, which is targeted by these missiles. US officials, including Rubio, have emphasized the inclusion of missile capabilities and Iran's support for armed groups in the region as essential components of any deal.
"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 stressed.
Concerns Over US Intentions and Regional Stability
The senior diplomat, who played a significant role in negotiations more than a decade ago, expressed concern about contradictory messages from the American president.
"We are hearing that they are interested in negotiations,"
he said.
"They have said it publicly; they have said it in private conversations through Oman that they are interested to have these matters resolved peacefully."
However, Trump recently reiterated regime change as a preferred outcome, stating:
"It seems that would be the best thing that would happen."
Takht-Ravanchi noted:
"We are not hearing that in the private messages,"
referring to communications facilitated by Oman's foreign minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, who serves as the main Arab mediator, with other regional powers such as Qatar also playing significant roles.
Takht-Ravanchi questioned the US military buildup in the region, warning that another war would be "traumatic, bad for everybody… everybody will suffer, particularly those who have initiated this aggression."
"If we feel this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly."
Asked whether Iran would view an American campaign as a battle for survival, he replied:
"It is not wise to even think about such a very dangerous scenario because the whole region will be in a mess."
Iran has repeatedly stated that US military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets. In previous attacks, including on the Al-Udeid military base in Qatar following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June, Tehran avoided causing American casualties.
Regarding the deployment of more than 40,000 US soldiers in the region, Takht-Ravanchi said:
"It would be a different game."
Regional Diplomacy and Israel's Role
Senior Iranian officials have engaged in intensive discussions with regional counterparts, who have communicated with President Trump about the urgency of avoiding a war with far-reaching consequences.
"We see an almost unanimous agreement in the region against war,"
Takht-Ravanchi stated.
Iran has accused Israel of attempting to undermine the negotiation process.
"We are hopeful we can do this through diplomacy, although we can't be 100% sure,"
he reflected, adding that Iran must remain vigilant to avoid surprises.
This comment references Israel's unexpected attack last June, which triggered the 12-day war just days before Iran was scheduled to meet US Envoy Steve Witkoff for a sixth round of indirect talks in Oman. This event has contributed to Tehran's distrust of the process.
Iran was reportedly dismayed by the lack of progress in last year's talks, with Witkoff often attending without technical experts on the complex subject matter. Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have criticized the frequent changes to understandings reached in one round by the time of the next meeting.
The presence of President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at the early February talks has been interpreted by Iran as a positive sign of increased US engagement.
Conversely, questions remain about Iran's willingness to make the difficult compromises necessary for an agreement.
Many observers remain skeptical that a new accord is imminent, but Takht-Ravanchi expressed hope heading into the next round in Geneva.
"We will do our best but the other side also has to prove that they are also sincere,"
he said.
The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet is reporting from Tehran under the condition that none of her material be used by the BBC's Persian Service. These restrictions apply to all international media organizations operating in Iran.
