Report: Iran considering proposing interim nuclear deal in talks with US

Iran is weighing up proposing an interim nuclear agreement to the US ahead of planned talks between the two countries in Oman this Saturday, the Axios news site reports.

Tehran is concerned that US President Donald Trump’s reported two-month deadline for reaching a deal is too limited, and is seeking more time to avoid a military escalation by the US or Israel, says Axios, citing a European diplomat and a source familiar with the matter.

An interim agreement could reportedly involve Iran partly reducing its uranium enrichment activity and allowing the UN increased access to its nuclear facilities, as a confidence-building step to a more comprehensive agreement. The report says that in response, Iran would likely demand that Trump ease his “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Tehran.

With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, Trump declared on Monday that his administration was holding direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program, though the assertion was quickly denied by Tehran, which did, however, acknowledge indirect talks.

“If the talks aren’t successful,” Trump warned, “it’ll be a very bad day for Iran.”