The US and Iran seem prepared to reach a compromise on Iran's nuclear capabilities, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the Financial Times on Thursday.
According to the report, Fidan indicated that flexibility on the part of the US was key to securing a deal, as Iran had previously demanded to be allowed to continue uranium enrichment. He believed that Tehran would accept compromises in order to achieve this goal, such as restrictions on enrichment levels and strict inspections.
“The Iranians now recognize that they need to reach a deal with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. It’s pointless to try to force them,” Fidan said.
Fidan also told the Times that the US could risk triggering another war in the region if it tried confronting Iran on both its ballistic missile arsenal and its support for regional terrorist groups, and that attempting to address all the issues simultaneously could prevent the nuclear talks from progressing.
“The Americans are deeply concerned about Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” he said. “However, the other issues are closely tied to countries of the region, because missiles and proxies affect regional security; they do not have a global reach.”
Fidan concerned Netanyahu may influence Trump into striking Iran
Another concern, Fidan said, was that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent visit to US President Donald Trump may influence the president to act against Iran's missile arsenal.
“For Israel, maintaining a position of military superiority in the region is a central priority,” he said. “The presence of Iranian missiles complicates that objective.”
US strikes on Iran were unlikely to collapse the regime on their own, Fidan stated.
Of course, the government organs and some other targets would be badly hit and damaged, destroyed," he added. "But the regime as a political entity would be a functioning entity.”