Iran is ready to sign a nuclear agreement with President Donald Trump under certain conditions in exchange for lifting economic sanctions, reported NBC News the chief political, military, and nuclear advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani.
According to him, Iran commits to never developing nuclear weapons, to dispose of stocks of highly enriched uranium that can be used as weapons, to agree to enrich uranium only to lower levels necessary for civilian use, and to allow international inspectors to monitor this process in exchange for the immediate lifting of all economic sanctions against Iran. When asked if Iran would agree to sign the agreement today if these conditions are met, Shamkhani replied: "Yes".
Shamkhani met with NBC News a few hours after Trump offered Iran an "olive branch," accompanied by threats of crushing economic sanctions if Iran does not accept an agreement to limit its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Trump's statements were criticized by Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. "He thinks he can come here, chant slogans, and scare us. For us, martyrdom is much sweeter than dying in bed," he said on Wednesday in comments broadcast live on state television.
Shamkhani also expressed disappointment with Trump's tone and his constant threats. "He talks about an olive branch, which we haven't seen. It's all barbed wire," he said, but emphasized that Iran is ready to consider the proposal.
Although Iran has always denied developing nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, claims that Iran has enriched uranium to weapons-grade quality, sufficient to create six nuclear bombs.
The US and Iran have been negotiating Tehran's nuclear program for several weeks, and Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, called the latest round in Muscat, the capital of Oman, "encouraging."
As NBC News writes, Iran is concerned that Israel may try to disrupt the deal. However, according to two American officials, two Middle Eastern diplomats, and two other people familiar with the tense situation, US and Israeli leaders are increasingly at odds over strategies to address regional issues, including Iran. While Netanyahu supports military action against Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump has begun considering eliminating the threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons by making a deal with the government, sources say.