Turkish Foreign Minister Praises Flexibility of US and Iran on Nuclear Deal

JAKARTA - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan praised the United States and Iran for showing flexibility in the nuclear deal, with Washington seemingly "willing" to tolerate some nuclear enrichment.

"It is positive that America seems willing to tolerate Iran's enrichment within clear limits," Fidan, who has been involved in talks with Washington and Tehran, told the Financial Times, as reported by Al Arabiya from Reuters (12/2).

"Iran now realizes that they need to reach an agreement with America, and America understands that Iran has certain limits. There is no point in trying to force them," he added.

It is known that Washington has so far demanded that Iran release its stockpiles of uranium enriched to 60 percent fissile purity, slightly lower than the 90 percent considered to be nuclear weapons-grade uranium.

Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would continue to demand the lifting of financial sanctions and insist on its nuclear rights, including enrichment.

Foreign Minister Fidan told the Financial Times he believed Tehran "really wants to reach a real deal" and would accept limits on enrichment levels and a strict inspection regime, as in the 2015 agreement with the US and the world's nuclear powers (JCPOA).

US and Iranian diplomats held talks through an Omani mediator in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy, after President Donald Trump deployed a naval fleet in the region, raising fears of new military action.

President Trump on Tuesday said he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, as Washington and Tehran prepared to resume negotiations.

However, the Turkish Foreign Minister warned that expanding Iran-US talks to ballistic missiles would only lead to "another war."