Ali Shamkhani, the adviser to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said in an interview with NBC that Iran is ready to sign a nuclear agreement with US President Donald Trump, provided that all economic sanctions imposed on Tehran immediately be lifted.
Obligations include stopping high enrichment and allowing inspection
Shamkhani explained that Iran is ready to abandon its highly enriched uranium stock, and pledged not to seek nuclear weapons, and limit the enrichment of uranium to civil levels, as well as allowing international inspectors to supervise the process.
“Olive branch or a thorny wire?”
Shamkhani’s statement came hours after Trump’s offer to what he described as an “olive branch” for Iran, but it included threats of harsh sanctions if an agreement was not reached. In response, Shamkhani said: “He says an olive branch, but we only saw a thorny wire.”
Angry responses from the Iranian leadership
Iranian President Masoud Bzkhaklan strongly criticized Trump’s speech, saying in a televised speech: “He came to threaten us?
Netanyahu is one of the obstacles?
Shamkhani also expressed his fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek to thwart any possible agreement by indirect pressure in Washington. He said: “If the Americans remove the effect of Netanyahu, they can easily sign the agreement.”
Continuous conversations and different indicators
The talks between Washington and Tehran have been going on for weeks, the last of which was in Muscat. The American envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkev, described it as “encouraging”, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqji said it was “difficult but useful”, stressing that fertilization remains a red line for Iran, despite the possibility of temporarily amending confidence.
