- The Iranian vice chancellor says he is willing to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
- We will do whatever it takes to make this happen: Takht-Ravanchi
- Talks between Iran and the United States will take place on Thursday in Geneva.
DUBAI: Iran is ready to take all necessary measures to reach a deal with the United States, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Tuesday, as the two countries prepare for a new round of talks.
The talks will take place on Thursday in Geneva, a senior US official said on Monday, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet with an Iranian delegation for negotiations.
The two countries resumed negotiations earlier this month as the United States strengthens its military capabilities in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to attack US bases in the region if attacked.
“We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith,” Takht-Ravanchi said in comments carried by state media.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that US President Donald Trump’s first choice was always diplomacy, but that he was willing to use lethal force if necessary.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Tehran would seriously consider a combination of sending half of its highest-enriched uranium abroad, diluting the rest and participating in the creation of a regional enrichment consortium, an idea that has been floated periodically during years of diplomacy linked to Iran.
Iran would do this in exchange for US recognition of Iran’s right to “peaceful nuclear enrichment” under a deal that would also include lifting economic sanctions, the official said.
“If there is an attack or aggression against Iran, we will respond in accordance with our defense plans… An American attack against Iran is a real gamble,” Takht-Ravanchi added.
Indirect talks between the two sides last year failed to reach an agreement, mainly due to friction over a US demand that Iran give up uranium enrichment on its territory, which Washington sees as a path to a nuclear bomb.
Iran has always denied seeking such weapons.
The United States joined Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites last June, effectively limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment, and Trump said its key nuclear sites were “destroyed.” But Iran is still believed to possess previously enriched reserves, which Washington wants it to abandon.
