Iran sees nuclear deal within reach ahead of talks, says top negotiator While Trump voices growing scepticism / Photo

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said a swift revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement is possible, highlighting a rare convergence of positions between Tehran and Washington as negotiations are set to resume on Jun 15.

“President Trump entered office saying that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. That is actually in line with our own doctrine and could become the main foundation for a deal,” Caliber.Az quotes Araghchi as saying on X.

He added that negotiators are nearing consensus on key issues and that a breakthrough could be imminent. “As we resume talks on Sunday, it is clear that an agreement that can ensure the continued peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program is within reach—and could be achieved rapidly.”

Araghchi emphasised that any deal must recognise Iran’s right to enrich uranium, provided it remains under strict international oversight.

“That mutually beneficial outcome relies on the continuation of Iran's enrichment program, under the full supervision of the IAEA, and the effective termination of sanctions,” he said.

However, US President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election, expressed growing doubts that Iran would agree to halt its nuclear activities entirely.

Speaking to Miranda Devine on her new podcast, Trump said he was becoming less confident about the chances of a revised nuclear deal.

“I don’t know,” Trump, 78, said when asked if he thought Iran would shut down its nuclear programme. “I did think so, and I’m getting more and more — less confident about it.

“They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame, but I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made.”

When asked what might happen if talks collapse, Trump replied: “Well, if they don’t make a deal, they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. If they do make a deal, they’re not going have a nuclear weapon, too, you know? But they’re not going a have a new nuclear weapon, so it’s not going to matter from that standpoint.

“But it would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying, it’s so much nicer to do it. But I don’t think I see the same level of enthusiasm for them to make a deal. I think they would make a mistake, but we’ll see. I guess time will tell.”

Trump’s envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has been holding indirect talks with Tehran for several months, but progress has been limited. Witkoff had reportedly floated a compromise similar to the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama, which allowed Iran to enrich uranium for civilian use under strict oversight—a deal from which Trump later withdrew in 2018.

Despite this, the US State Department and the White House have held a tougher line, insisting that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium at all.

Asked whether China might be influencing Tehran’s position, Trump said he didn’t think so. “I just think maybe they don’t want to make a deal. What can I say?” he said. “And maybe they do. So what does that mean? There’s nothing final.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear ambitions are once again under scrutiny after a Europe-based opposition group released new claims about the scale of Tehran’s programme.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) estimates that Iran has spent at least $2 trillion on nuclear development over the past 30 years, surpassing its total oil revenue since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to the NCRI, much of this spending has gone into the so-called “Kavir Plan,” a covert weapons programme. The group says it has identified four sites linked to the plan, all in or near the north-central Semnan Province, a region designated as a military zone.

“Tehran’s dash to obtain nuclear weapons has intensified,” the NCRI warned.

By Aghakazim Guliyev