Iran says deal can be reached if U.S. shows goodwill

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran said Tuesday a new nuclear deal could be agreed with the United States (US) provided Tehran’s longtime adversary shows sufficient goodwill in upcoming talks, as Israel warned of military action if talks drag on.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s principal aim remained the lifting of sweeping US sanctions. Their reimposition by President Donald Trump in 2018 has dealt a heavy blow to the Iranian economy.

Trump made the surprise announcement that his administration would open talks with Iran during a White House meeting on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is an arch foe of Tehran.

Trump said the talks would be “direct” but Araghchi insisted his negotiations with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday would be “indirect.”

“We will not accept any other form of negotiation,” Araghchi told official media. “The format of the negotiations... is not the most important thing in my view. What really counts is the effectiveness or otherwise of the talks.”

“If the other side shows enough of the necessary willingess, a deal can be found,” he said. “The ball is in America’s court.”

‘Military option inevitable’

Following his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday that “we agree that Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

“This can be done in an agreement, but only if... they go in, blow up (Iran’s) facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision,” he said, adding that if talks drag on, “then the military option becomes inevitable.”

Netanyahu was a bitter opponent of the 2015 agreement between Iran and Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States which Trump later abandoned.

In a column in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Araghchi wrote: “To move forward today, we first need to agree that there can be no ‘military option,’ let alone a ‘military solution.’”

“For its part, the United States can show that it is serious about diplomacy by showing that it will stick to any deal it makes. If we are shown respect, we will reciprocate it,” he continued.

Trump’s announcement came after Iran dismissed direct negotiations on a new deal to curb the country’s nuclear activities, calling the idea pointless.

In Iran, some appeared wary but hopeful that the talks would yield results.

“Given the intense pressure on the population today, it seems that government officials have realized that the only solution is to negotiate directly with the United States,” said lawyer Fatemeh Rezai, 28.

“I hope these negotiations will lead to a (positive) outcome and that we will all get through this situation safe and sound.”