Turkish FM: US, Iran open to compromise on nuclear deal

Türkiye's top diplomat says US and Iran appear ready to compromise on nuclear deal, but warns missile talks risk 'another war'

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that both the US and Iran appear ready to compromise to secure a nuclear deal, but has warned that broadening talks to include Tehran's ballistic missile programme would risk “nothing but another war”, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Fidan, who has played an integral role in mediation efforts to avert conflict, said Washington had signalled a willingness to be flexible on its key demand that Iran end all uranium enrichment.

He described this as a positive development, stating: “It is positive that the Americans appear willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly set boundaries.”

Fidan, who remains in constant contact with US, Iranian and regional officials, added that he believed Tehran “genuinely wants to reach a real agreement” and would accept restrictions on enrichment levels together with a strict inspections regime, similar to the 2015 nuclear accord.

“The Iranians now recognise 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,” he said.

The remarks follow indirect talks held last week in Muscat, Oman, between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Both sides described the discussions—the first since the US joined Israel's 12-day military operation against Iranian nuclear facilities in June—as a positive first step, with another round expected soon.

The talks, supported by intensified mediation efforts from Türkiye, Qatar, Oman and Egypt, were initially planned for Istanbul but moved to Oman at Iran's insistence that discussions focus solely on the nuclear programme.

US President Donald Trump's messaging on the potential deal's scope has been inconsistent. While Washington had previously demanded curbs on Iran's missile programme and an end to support for regional proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, Trump called last week's talks “very good” and indicated a nuclear-only agreement could be “acceptable”.

Following a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 11, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had insisted “negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated”. He added, “If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”

Fidan cautioned against attempting to address all issues at once. “If the US insists on addressing all the issues simultaneously” — a reference to Iran's ballistic missiles and support for militant groups — “I’m afraid even the nuclear file will not move forward… the result could be another war in the region”.

He noted that Iran's missiles and proxies primarily concern regional security rather than presenting a global threat, and said Ankara and other governments were “trying to develop creative ideas” to address these matters in a “constructive and effective” way.

The Turkish minister expressed concern that Israel might seek to influence Trump during Netanyahu's visit, saying: “For Israel, maintaining a position of military superiority in the region is a central priority. The presence of Iranian missiles complicates that objective.”

Iran has consistently maintained that its missile programme is not open to negotiation.

Fidan urged the parties to avoid repeating past mistakes, when regional states felt sidelined during negotiations that produced the 2015 deal. That agreement restricted enrichment to 3.67% purity and limited stockpiles to 300 kg but did not cover missiles or proxies.

“It will be important for Iran to pair any agreement with the US with steps that strengthen confidence with regional partners… that balance is essential,” he said. “There is a significant trust gap with regional countries, and addressing that dimension is essential.”

He pointed to Iran's recent difficulties—including damage from last year's conflict, severe economic pressure from sanctions, and the most violent anti-regime protests since the 1979 revolution—as factors making Tehran more willing to negotiate.

“They [Iran’s leaders] understand that the public unrest was driven largely by economic difficulties. So they know that the sanctions issue needs to be resolved,” Fidan said.

However, he cautioned that US military strikes were unlikely to bring about regime change: “I don’t think that regime change will occur. Of course, the government organs and some other targets would be badly hit and damaged, destroyed. But the regime as a political entity would be a functioning entity.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev