US must prove it’s ‘sincere’ about negotiations – Iranian deputy FM

The ball is in Washington’s court to show its resolve to strike a deal with Tehran, Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said

The US must demonstrate its seriousness about reaching an agreement with Tehran, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said, warning that a war would be “bad for everybody.” 

In an interview with the BBC published on Sunday, Takht-Ravanchi said recent contacts between Tehran and Washington, including indirect talks in Oman, have shown that the US is seeking to resolve the issues peacefully. He added that the ball is now “in America’s court to prove that they want to make a deal.” 

“If [the Americans] are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement,” the senior diplomat said.

Tehran is ready to discuss its nuclear program with the US “provided that they are also ready to talk about sanctions,” he added. “One cannot accept the notion that Iran has to do certain things without the other side committing itself to do their share,” Takht-Ravanchi stressed.

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He also appeared to suggest that Tehran had managed to resolve the key issue in the standoff with the US about its nuclear program. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Tehran completely abandon the program and adopt a “zero enrichment” policy. Iran, however, has repeatedly said that such a policy was unacceptable while signaling readiness to compromise on the extent to which uranium is enriched, as well as suggesting it could dilute its fission materials stockpile. 

“Our understanding is that [the Americans] have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal, you have to focus on the nuclear issue,” Takht-Ravanchi said, adding that the “issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore, and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table anymore.” 

The claim, however, contradicts the latest remarks by Trump on Friday, when he told reporters the US-proposed policy remains on the table and that “we don’t want any enrichment.”