Iran Ready for Nuclear Talks With US if Sanctions are Reviewed

Iran has said it is willing to discuss its nuclear programme with the United States, but only if sanctions imposed on Tehran are negotiated simultaneously. The remarks were made by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who stated that any agreement must include reciprocal commitments from Washington.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Takht-Ravanchi said Iran would not accept a framework where it makes concessions without the US addressing sanctions. “The ball is in America’s court,” he said, adding that sincerity from Washington would determine whether a deal is possible.

The comments come as diplomatic efforts resume amid heightened regional tensions and renewed US military pressure.

What Happened in the First Round of Talks?

On February 6, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held indirect discussions in Oman with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Omani officials acted as intermediaries during the talks.

According to a Swiss foreign ministry spokesperson quoted by AFP, a second round of negotiations is expected to take place in Geneva next week, again hosted by Oman. Further details have not been disclosed.

Switzerland has historically played a diplomatic role between Tehran and Washington. Since the US severed ties with Iran following the 1980 hostage crisis, Bern has represented American interests in Tehran as a “protecting power,” facilitating limited diplomatic and consular communication between the two countries.

Trust Deficit After Collapse of Previous Talks

Takht-Ravanchi cautioned against optimism, saying it was “too early” to determine whether a breakthrough was achievable. He pointed to past experiences, including a previous negotiation process that unravelled amid conflict.

Last year’s talks collapsed in June after Israel launched a 12-day military campaign against Iran, which included US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The escalation deepened Tehran’s mistrust of the negotiation process.

Iranian officials were reportedly frustrated by the lack of substantive progress in earlier discussions, with concerns that US delegations were not consistently accompanied by technical experts on nuclear issues.

The deputy foreign minister indicated that a single meeting was insufficient to establish whether Washington was serious about reaching an agreement.

Military Pressure and Escalation Warnings

The diplomatic push comes against a backdrop of increased US military deployments in the region. When asked whether the American build-up posed an existential threat, Takht-Ravanchi described the prospect as “traumatic,” warning that any conflict would have broad consequences.

“If we feel that this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly,” he said, adding that the fallout would not be limited to Iran alone.

Following the first round of discussions, President Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would be “very traumatic” for Tehran. He has repeatedly threatened to use force if Iran refuses to curb its nuclear activities.

Gulf Arab states have cautioned that military action could ignite a wider regional war.

Trump recently stated that regime change in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen,” while announcing the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. Earlier this year, he had also threatened military intervention during a wave of anti-government protests in Iran, which were met with a violent crackdown.

Sticking Points: Uranium Enrichment and Verification

The Trump administration has maintained that Iran must end uranium enrichment under any agreement. Tehran has rejected that demand.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. However, its officials have increasingly suggested they could pursue a nuclear weapon if pressured. Before last June’s conflict, Iran had enriched uranium up to 60 per cent purity, a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is “ready for any kind of verification.” Yet the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has reportedly been unable for months to fully inspect and verify Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

While Trump has signalled that scaling back Iran’s nuclear programme is his primary objective, Tehran has maintained that negotiations must focus solely on nuclear matters and include relief from sanctions.

With a second round of talks expected in Geneva, both sides remain publicly firm, and the path to an agreement remains uncertain.