Iran ready to accept nuclear deal changes if US lifts sanctions, spokesman says

Iran is prepared to accept changes to the 2015 nuclear agreement and not seek nuclear weapons if the United States agrees to the deal and lifts sanctions, a spokesman for Iran said Wednesday.

“If the sanctions are ended and there is a return to the [nuclear] accord, there is room for giving reassurances toward breaking the deadlock and the President has even a proposal for small changes in the accord,” Ali Rabiei said on state TV, according to Reuters.

{mosads}The news service added that Iran’s state-run Press TV said on Wednesday that Tehran would be willing to reenter the deal on the conditions of “early approval of an additional protocol by Iran’s parliament, nuclear deal approval by U.S. Congress, lifting of all sanctions by Washington.”

The reports come as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly.

President Trump withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear deal last year, calling its terms too friendly to Iran, which he accused of violating the accord. His administration has since implemented a series of sanctions against Tehran. Rouhani has declined to engage the U.S. in negotiations until some of the sanctions are lifted.  

Rouhani signaled at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that he was open to changes to the nuclear deal with the U.S. and other countries if the Trump administration lifted sanctions.

The U.S. most recently hit Iran with additional sanctions to its central bank over Tehran’s alleged role in attacks on Saudi oil facilities. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for the attacks, which were claimed by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Tehran has denied the allegations.