Iran could suspend nuclear programme to hold-off US strikes

Iran could make major concessions in efforts to prevent US strikes on the country, including the possible suspension of its nuclear programme, as regional powers seek to find a way out of the current standoff that has gripped the Gulf.

Iranian sources told The New York Times that Tehran could be willing to shut down or suspend its nuclear programme, which has been at the heart of tensions with the US, but would prefer to accept an offer put forward last year suggesting the creation of a regional nuclear consortium to resolve energy issues.

Since then, relations between Tehran and Washington have greatly worsened, with Iran's nuclear programme and President Donald Trump warning of military intervention if an Iranian crackdown on anti-government protests continued.

Trump has also demanded that Iran suspend its nuclear programme, restrict its ballistic missile capabilities, and end support for proxy forces in the region.

Moscow has offered to play a role in resolving the crisis by taking Iranian enriched uranium, something that has been on the table for many years, with Iranian officials meeting President Vladimir Putin this week and saying they would be open to such a proposal.

"Russia has been offering its services for quite a long time as a possible option that would lead to the removal of certain irritants for a number of countries," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia, Turkey, and Gulf states have been working hard to resolve the crisis, with talks taking place in Istanbul last week to prevent a regional conflict.

In a positive move this week, it was announced that rare US-Iran talks would take place on Friday in Istanbul, with regional powers including Qatar and Saudi Arabia also expected to attend.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian later confirmed that the talks would take place to find a solution to the crisis that is acceptable to both parties.

"I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists - one free from threats and unreasonable expectations - to pursue fair and equitable negotiations," Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X.

The conference will also include the US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but Tehran insists these talks be held in a positive environment, amid a huge American military build-up in the Gulf.

"Diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force. We hope that its results will soon become evident," Araghchi said.

The United States has deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and additional military assets to the region following the Iranian government's crackdown on protests last month.

Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal during his first term, pushing relations between Washington and Tehran into years of heightened tension, with the risk of regional war coming close last month.