AFPIran is ready to engage with the United States in talks on Saturday because of its nuclear program “In order to seal a deal,” said his foreign minister Abas Aragchi.
But US President Donald Trump must first agree that there can be no “military option,” Aragchi said, adding that Iran “will never accept coercion.”
He also insisted that the negotiations in Oman would be indirect, contradictory Trump's surprising message on Monday that they will be “direct conversations”.
Trump, who pulled the US for a nuclear deal for 2015 between Iran and the world forces in his first term, warned that Iran would be in a “big danger” if the conversations were not successful.
The US and Iran have no diplomatic ties, so last month Trump sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader through the United Arab Emirates. It says he wants a deal to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and preventing possible military strikes from the US and Israel.
Trump has revealed the upcoming negotiations during a visit to the White House on Monday by the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that both leaders agreed that “Iran will not have nuclear weapons” and added that the “military option” would happen if the negotiations were dragged.
Iran insists that his nuclear activities are completely calm and will never strive to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
However, Iran is increasingly violating the restrictions imposed by the existing nuclear deal, avenging the mutilation of US sanctions seven years ago and maintained a strong enough uranium to make several bombs.
The US president told reporters in the Oval cabinet on Monday that the Oman weekend meeting will be “very big”.
“I think everyone agrees that a transaction would be preferable to do the obvious,” Trump said.
But he also warned that it would be a “very bad day for Iran” if the conversations were not successful.
In an opinion published by The Washington Post on TuesdayIran's Foreign Minister said he was “ready to get involved seriously and to seal a transaction”.
“We'll meet Oman on Saturday for indirect negotiations. It's as an opportunity as a test,” Aragchi said.
Iran took advantage of “serious doubts” about the sincerity of the US government's intentions, he noted, citing the “maximum pressure” campaign to sanctions, which Trump restored shortly after he began his second term.
“In order to move forward today, we must first agree that there can be no” military option “, let alone a” military decision, “he said.
“The proud Iranian nation, whose power my government relies on true deterrent, will never accept coercion and imposition.”
Aragchi insisted that there was no evidence that Iran had violated his commitment not to seek nuclear weapons, but also admitted that “there may be possible concerns about our nuclear program.”
“We are ready to clarify our peaceful intention and take the necessary measures to ease every possible care. In turn, the United States can show that it is serious about diplomacy, showing that it will adhere to any transaction it does. If we are shown, we will regain it.”
“The ball is already in the American court,” he added.
The Iranian solid news agency Tasnim said Aragchi would head the delegation of the Oman negotiations, emphasizing their meaning.
Meanwhile, the US partner of BBC CBS News has confirmed that Trump's Special Messenger Steve Vikof will lead the US country and said America continues to demand direct talks.
During the first set of meetings, the United States was expected to call Iran to disassemble its nuclear program and, depending on how the negotiations went, then technical experts were expected to continue in additional conversations, the announcement said.
So far, US officials have revealed little details about Trump's demands.
However, after Vitcof said in a recent interview that Trump was offering a “verification program” to show that Iran did not pursue nuclear weapons, National Security Advisor Mike Walz explained that the goal was “complete disassembly”.
Israel's Prime Minister sounded Waltz's position in a video on Tuesday, saying he wanted an agreement on Libyan style – a reference to the North African country's decision to dismantle its nuclear, organic and chemical weapons programs in 2003.
“They enter, explode installations, dismantle all equipment under US supervision and carried out by America,” Netanyahu explained.
He then said, “The second opportunity, which will not be, is that they pull out the conversations and then there is a military option.”
Israel, who is supposed to have its own nuclear weapons but maintains an official policy of deliberate ambiguity, views Nuclear Iran as an existential threat.
Tel Aviv said last year had hit an Iranian nuclear site in revenge for a rocket attack.
A senior employee at the Iran Foreign Ministry told the BBC that he would never agree to dismantle his nuclear program and added that the “Libya model” would never be part of the negotiations.
The 2015 deal, which Iran achieved with the administration of the then US President Barack Obama, as well as the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany, restricts its nuclear activities and allows inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (MAA) in exchange for the relief of sanctions.
However, in 2018, Trump unilaterally abandoned the agreementWhich he said he did too little to stop Iran's potential path to a bomb.
Then Iran increasingly violates the restrictions of the agreement. Maea warned in February that Iran had stock almost 275 kg (606 pounds) uranium, enriched to 60% cleanliness, which is close to the degree of weapons. This would theoretically sufficient if it is enriched up to 90%for six nuclear bombs.