Iran to negotiate nuclear deal with US, offering economic cooperation in energy, mining, and aviation to secure sanctions relief.
Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the United States that provides economic benefits for both nations, Iranian officials said, ahead of a second round of talks in Geneva.
The renewed negotiations aim to resolve decades-long disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme and prevent potential military escalation. US officials have dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region and are preparing for a sustained campaign if diplomacy fails.
Speaking in Bratislava, Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy but acknowledged that a deal may not materialize. “No one’s ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we’re going to try,” Rubio said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry deputy director for economic diplomacy, Hamid Ghanbari, told the semi-official Fars news agency that for the agreement to be durable, the US must also benefit from high-return economic sectors. “Common interests in oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations,” he said.
The current talks differ from the 2015 multilateral nuclear pact, focusing only on Iran and the US with Oman acting as mediator. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi emphasized Iran’s willingness to compromise, including diluting highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief, while maintaining some uranium enrichment.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has traveled to Geneva to join indirect nuclear negotiations with US officials, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and meet leaders from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, the US is intensifying economic pressure on Iran. White House discussions with Benjamin Netanyahu focused on reducing Iranian oil exports to China, which account for more than 80% of Iran’s oil trade, aiming to limit Tehran’s revenue.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and denies pursuing nuclear weapons, while Washington continues to insist that enrichment inside Iran could lead to weaponization.