US President Donald Trump is willing to offer Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds in exchange for concrete progress on nuclear issues, a US official told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
The official added that indirect negotiations between US and Iranian officials have remained positive and constructive, but no deal will be made unless they address nuclear issues.
Iran has said it is flexible on nuclear questions, but representatives from Washington and Tehran have not agreed on which steps to take first or the order in which commitments in a potential deal would be implemented, the official continued.
US skeptical of Iran's willingness to follow through on commitments
The US is also skeptical of Iran’s willingness to follow through on a deal since the previous Memorandum of Understanding collapsed.
The official said that to reach a deal, Iran must assure the US that it is serious about fulfilling its commitments and not just trying to ease economic pressure from US sanctions and a blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump is remaining patient as Qatari-mediated indirect talks proceed and is committed to the goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, the official asserted.
The US official’s statements to the Post came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly met with Qatari mediators in New York to discuss changes to a deal Iran proposed last week.
According to Reuters, US officials are set to meet with the Qatari mediators separately on Monday or Tuesday to offer Washington’s input on the potential agreement.
Trump rejected the proposal, telling reporters on Saturday that Tehran only wanted to make a deal “because they're losing so badly.”