Iran has indicated that potential agreements in energy, mining and aviation could form part of ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States, as both sides prepare for a second round of talks in Geneva this week.
According to Iranian state-linked media, a senior foreign ministry official said Tehran is seeking a durable agreement that delivers tangible economic benefits to both countries. The remarks come amid renewed efforts to resolve the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme and to avert further military escalation.
“For an agreement to last, it is essential that the U.S. also sees economic gains in areas with quick and significant returns,” said Hamid Ghanbari, a deputy director for economic diplomacy at Iran’s foreign ministry, as quoted by Fars news agency. He added that discussions could include cooperation in joint oil and gas fields, mining investments and even aircraft purchases.
The renewed diplomacy follows the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), after then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump prefers a diplomatic solution but acknowledged uncertainty over the outcome. “No one’s ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we’re going to try,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Bratislava.
A U.S. delegation that includes special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is expected to meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday. Unlike the multilateral talks that led to the 2015 accord, the current negotiations are limited to Iran and the United States, with Oman serving as mediator.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has traveled to Geneva for the talks and is also expected to meet officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Tehran has signaled some flexibility. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC that Iran could consider diluting its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief. However, he reiterated that Iran would not accept a complete halt to uranium enrichment, a key sticking point in previous negotiations. Washington views enrichment within Iran as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies.
The talks are taking place against a backdrop of heightened tensions. The United States has reportedly deployed additional naval assets to the region and is weighing further economic measures, including efforts to curb Iran’s oil exports to China, which account for the majority of Tehran’s crude sales.
Whether economic incentives such as energy cooperation and commercial aircraft deals can bridge deep political mistrust remains uncertain, but both sides appear to be testing the possibility of a negotiated reset.
Source: Reuters