Tehran, Feb 15 (EFE). - Iran confirmed this Sunday the holding of a second round of nuclear negotiations with the United States in Geneva on Tuesday, following speculations by US media on the matter. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, announced in an interview with the British BBC chain in Tehran the continuation of negotiations on Tuesday, and stated that "the ball is in the court of the US." "If an agreement is wanted, the focus must be on the nuclear issue," affirmed Takht-Ravanchi, who ruled out zero enrichment in Iran, as requested by US authorities, but reiterated that Tehran is willing to "examine compromises" on its nuclear program, "as long as Washington also initiates talks on lifting the sanctions." Tehran considers the total suspension of uranium enrichment a "red line" and a violation of its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). When asked if Iran would be willing to remove from the country the more than 400 kilos of uranium enriched to 60% - very close to the 90% needed for military use - the Iranian diplomat replied: "It is too early to say what will happen during the course of the negotiations." Days earlier, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, stated that Tehran could dilute the uranium enriched to 60% if the US lifts all sanctions imposed on the country. Takht-Ravanchi also reiterated Tehran's opposition to dialogue on its ballistic missile program. "When we were attacked by the Israelis and the Americans (in the 12-day war in June), it was our missiles that helped us; how can we accept being deprived of our defensive capability?" he stated. These statements come after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Friday that a change of regime in Iran would be "the best thing that could happen" and reported the dispatch of a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as a measure of pressure on Tehran to sign an agreement. Trump has repeatedly assured that he prefers an agreement with Iran through diplomacy, although he has threatened with military actions in case of not achieving it. In the face of these threats, Iran and the US resumed indirect negotiations on February 6, under the mediation of Oman, in their first meeting since the 12-day war between Tehran and Tel Aviv, in which Washington participated by bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. Both parties described the meeting as "good" and scheduled a new meeting "soon", despite the differences over the Iranian missile program and Tehran's support for regional groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas, which Washington wants to curb and Iran rejects.
