Washington, Feb 16 (.) Iran has indicated it may offer compromises in nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided Washington is open to discussing the lifting of sanctions.
A new round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations is scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, with US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner expected to attend.
The talks follow the first indirect round in Oman on February 6, where Iran demanded the right to enrich uranium while Washington pushed for broader discussions on ballistic missiles and regional proxies like Hezbollah. Both sides described the previous meeting as a “good start,” though major differences remain.
Iran is willing to show flexibility and offer compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the US if the Americans are willing to discuss lifting sanctions.
Iran claims it is open to compromise with the US on a nuclear deal if the administration is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, a senior Iranian official said Sunday.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, also said in an interview that the ball was “in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal,” adding: “If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement.”
“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy in dealing with Iran and the administration is currently focused on negotiations.
Speaking during the news conference in Bratislava alongside Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, Rubio said, “the president’s made clear he prefers diplomacy.”
The US is seeking a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear issue while maintaining a military posture in the region. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have also signaled readiness to respond if attacked, keeping tensions high ahead of the Geneva talks.
The negotiations come as President Trump expressed skepticism over a potential deal, citing Iran’s track record on compliance.
Witkoff and Kushner will meet the Iranian delegation in Geneva through Omani mediation, focusing on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and stocks of highly enriched uranium. Rubio confirmed the US will follow all legal requirements in consulting Congress if any military action becomes necessary.
The upcoming negotiations follow the last indirect talks in Oman on February 6,the first engagement since US and Israeli strikes on Iran last summer. The talks, mediated by Badr Albusaidi, saw the US delegation led by Witkoff and Kushner, and Iran represented by Abbas Araghchi.
During the Oman round, Iran reiterated its right to enrich uranium, while offering safeguards to prevent weaponization in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The US pressed for broader commitments, including limits on ballistic missiles and Iran’s regional proxies, such as Hezbollah, which Iran rejected. Despite progress in talks, both sides maintained military readiness, with the US moving assets into the region and Iran warning it would respond if attacked.
The Geneva talks are expected to address these longstanding disagreements, with diplomacy facing the dual challenge of bridging nuclear and regional security issues while managing escalating tensions.
CBS News reported that in December, President Trump signaled to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would support Israeli strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program if the US and Iran failed to reach a nuclear deal.
The outlet noted that discussions about such an operation are ongoing, roughly eight months after the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict in June. During last year’s war, the US joined Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. This time, any American role in an Israeli attack would likely involve assisting jets with midair refueling or helping Israel secure permission to fly over neighboring countries, CBS reported.
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