Iranian Official: Potential Energy, Mining, and Aircraft Deals on Table in US Nuclear Talks

Hamid Ghanbari, Iran's deputy for economic diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, stated ahead of the second round of talks between Tehran and Washington that Iran seeks a nuclear agreement with the United States that provides economic benefits for both sides.

Iran and the United States resumed negotiations earlier this month to resolve decades-long disputes over Tehran's nuclear program and prevent a new military confrontation. U.S. officials told Reuters that the United States has deployed its second aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for a potential sustained military campaign if talks fail.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a press conference in Bratislava, said President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy and negotiation but noted it might not succeed. "No one has managed to reach a successful agreement with Iran so far, but we will try," Rubio said.

Iran has threatened to attack U.S. bases in the Middle East if American forces strike, but adopted a conciliatory stance on Sunday. Ghanbari, quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency, said: "For an agreement to endure, the United States must also benefit in areas with high and quick economic returns."

He noted that the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers did not secure economic interests for the United States, adding that shared interests in oil and gas, joint fields, mineral investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations.

In 2018, Trump withdrew the United States from the deal, which had limited Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, and reimposed severe economic sanctions on Tehran.

A source told Reuters that a U.S. delegation including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday, a meeting confirmed by a senior Iranian official. Rubio said Witkoff and Kushner are traveling for important sessions.

Unlike the multilateral talks leading to the 2015 deal, current negotiations are bilateral between Iran and the United States, with Oman mediating. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Tehran for Geneva to participate in indirect nuclear talks with the United States and meet the IAEA chief and others.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, told the BBC that Iran is prepared to compromise on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, stating the ball is in the U.S. court. He cited the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, who said Tehran could agree to dilute its enriched uranium for sanctions relief as an example of flexibility.