The United States and Iran are showing flexibility on a nuclear deal, with Washington appearing “willing” to tolerate some nuclear enrichment, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday.
“It is positive that the Americans appear willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly set boundaries,” Fidan, who has been involved in talks with both Washington and Tehran, told the FT.
“The Iranians now recognize that they need to reach a deal with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. It’s pointless to try to force them.”
Washington has until now demanded Iran relinquish its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent fissile purity, a small step away from the 90 percent that is considered weapons grade.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran would continue to demand the lifting of financial sanctions and insist on its nuclear rights including enrichment.
Fidan told the FT he believed Tehran “genuinely wants to reach a real agreement” and would accept restrictions on enrichment levels and a strict inspection regime, as it did in the 2015 agreement with the US and others. US and Iranian diplomats held talks through Omani mediators in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy, after President Donald Trump positioned a naval flotilla in the region, raising fears of new military action. Trump on Tuesday said he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, even as Washington and Tehran prepared to resume negotiations.
The Turkish foreign minister, however, cautioned that broadening the Iran-US talks to ballistic missiles would bring “nothing but another war.”
The US State Department and the White House did not respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
Turkiye’s foreign minister says the US and Iran showing flexibility on nuclear deal, FT reports
https://arab.news/vntky
Turkiye’s foreign minister says the US and Iran showing flexibility on nuclear deal, FT reports
- Hakan Fidan: “It is positive that the Americans appear willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly set boundaries”
- Washington has until now demanded Iran relinquish its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent fissile purity
UAE air defences intercept 12 ballistic missiles, 17 drones
DUBAI: UAE air defenses on Monday detected 15 ballistic missiles, of which 12 were destroyed, while 3 missiles fell into the sea, the ministry of defense said in a statement on ‘X’.
A total of 18 drones were also detected, with 17 intercepted, while 1 fell within the country’s territory.
Since the start of the Iranian attacks, 253 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 233 were destroyed, 18 fell into the sea, and 2 landed within the country.
A total of 1,440 Iranian drones have also been detected, of which 1,359 were intercepted, while 81 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.
These attacks resulted in 4 deaths among Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 117 people sustained minor injuries.
The Ministry of Defense affirmed that it remains fully prepared to deal with any threats and will respond firmly to any attempts to undermine the country’s security, ensuring the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguarding its national interests and capabilities.
