Iran has indicated that it is prepared to consider compromises in negotiations over its nuclear programme, provided the United States is willing to engage on the critical issue of sanctions, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC in Tehran.
Speaking in an interview published on Sunday, Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran was ready to discuss potential limits on its nuclear activities if Washington showed sincerity by placing meaningful sanctions relief on the table. He described initial contacts as having moved “more or less in a positive direction” but cautioned that it was too early to judge the outcome of the diplomatic process.
A second round of nuclear talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations is scheduled to take place in Geneva, following indirect discussions held earlier this month in Oman. U.S. envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to join the negotiators, with Omani officials serving as mediators.
Iran has made clear that for it, the central condition for any compromise is sanctions relief. In the interview, Takht-Ravanchi highlighted Tehran’s offer to dilute its stockpile of uranium enriched to high levels — a move long sought by Western powers — in exchange for lifting all financial sanctions.
Despite this expressed willingness to negotiate, Tehran insists on keeping the nuclear talks focused solely on its nuclear programme and has avoided linking them to other contentious issues, such as its ballistic missile capabilities. The deputy foreign minister reiterated that zero enrichment — a complete halt to uranium enrichment — was “not on the table” for Iran, a stance that has been a core sticking point in past negotiations.
The proposed nuclear compromise comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tension and ongoing disputes over Iran’s strategic ambitions. While both sides demonstrate cautious diplomatic engagement, significant differences remain on the details of how to balance restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities with the sanctions that have long weighed on its economy.
Iran maintains it does not seek nuclear weapons and portrays any limits as part of a broader effort to ease international concerns while protecting its sovereign rights. The coming Geneva talks will be closely watched as a key test of whether renewed diplomacy can bridge the gap between Tehran and Washington after years of dispute.
