Iran is ready to suspend or significantly limit its nuclear program in order to reach an agreement with the United States and reduce tensions in the region.
Elchi.az reports that this was written by The New York Times (NYT) newspaper, citing official sources.
According to two officials, Tehran is ready to suspend or temporarily freeze the implementation of the nuclear program, which is considered a major concession from Tehran to Washington. But the Iranian authorities prefer a variant that envisages the creation of a regional consortium for the production of nuclear energy, with the participation of the United States, to resolve the conflict.
The newspaper, citing US and Iranian officials, notes that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US President’s Special Envoy Stephen Uitkoff, who are to participate in talks on a possible nuclear deal in Istanbul (Turkey) on February 6, are in direct contact via correspondence. In addition, according to the NYT, US President’s son-in-law and businessman Jared Kushner, as well as high-ranking officials from Turkey, Qatar and Egypt will attend the meeting in Turkey.
Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has also not ruled out the possibility of direct talks with the United States if mutual understanding is reached during indirect contacts.
“Indirect talks must precede direct talks. If a mutual understanding is reached and it happens quickly, then it is possible to move on to direct talks.”
According to the Iranian official, in this case, the negotiations will be limited only to the nuclear issue, and such a restriction is put forward as a condition of the negotiations.
Shamkhani also drew attention to Iran’s two main conditions for dialogue:
“First, negotiations must be conducted without an atmosphere of threats and pressure tools; secondly, both sides must be fairly represented at the negotiating table, and the process must begin after mutual understanding is reached, without illogical and unfounded demands. If the negotiations start within these two conditions that I have mentioned, then there will be the possibility of holding both direct and indirect meetings with America.”