Iran Softens Stance, Agrees to Include Nuclear File in US Talks, Sources Say

Iran has dropped some of its previous conditions and agreed to include its nuclear program in talks with the United States, sources told Al Arabiya on Sunday, signaling a shift from its earlier insistence on deferring the issue.

A senior Iranian official had told Reuters on Saturday that Tehran’s proposal would first focus on reopening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US naval blockade, leaving nuclear negotiations for a later stage.

However, sources told Al Arabiya that Iran has now agreed to discuss its nuclear program, proposing to limit uranium enrichment to 3.5 percent and gradually reduce its existing stockpile of enriched uranium.

The revised proposal also includes an offer to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the US blockade, the sources said, adding that Tehran has dropped its demand for a US troop withdrawal from the region.

Instead, Iran is now seeking an end to the US military buildup around its borders, according to the sources, as well as international guarantees against future attacks.

This comes after US President Donald Trump said he had yet to review the exact wording of the original Iranian proposal but was unlikely to accept it, stating that Tehran had not yet “paid a big enough price.”