Iran presents its draft proposal while seeking compromise from Washington on nuclear issue

Iran has presented its proposals ahead of the third round of indirect talks with the US, seeking a compromise from Washington on uranium enrichment levels and its wider nuclear programme.

The Omani-mediated discussions began in Geneva on Thursday, involving US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner from the American side, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi representing Iran.

According to Oman's state-run Oman News Agency, Tehran has submitted its "views and proposals" to the Sultanate during a meeting between Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.

The Omani foreign minister has also met with IAEA Director Rafael Grossi to discuss the framework of the consultations.

Oman later confirmed that discussions had commenced, with Al-Busaidi meeting the American negotiating team "to convey the Iranian perspective and, in turn, listen to the ideas and proposals put forward by the American side".

Tehran's position appears largely unchanged from recent weeks, with officials stressing that the country wishes to keep the door open for diplomacy while simultaneously preparing "for all eventualities, whether for war or peace", Araghchi said on the eve of the talks.

Iranian sources told The New Arab that the delegation was entering Thursday's negotiations with "a package of proposals that includes the maximum possible Iranian flexibility regarding the negotiating framework within the limits of Iranian red lines, to address American concerns, or rather pretexts, regarding Iran's nuclear program".

The sources added that Iran would also raise the issue of lifting sanctions, without which "the flexibility cannot be translated into practical measures".

Uranium enrichment is likewise expected to be a key sticking point between Tehran and Washington, with Iran seeking solutions that do not compromise "Iran’s established right to possess the fuel cycle", according to Iranian sources.

However, the sources also said that the Iranian delegation was taking part in this latest round of negotiations while "having serious doubts about whether the other side is truly serious about reaching an agreement".

Iran’s state media IRNA said on Thursday that Washington’s "rejecting [of Iran’s proposals] would amount to confirming the initial suspicion that the United States is not genuinely committed to diplomacy and that its diplomatic posture is merely a game", without elaborating on the proposal’s specific details.

This palpable scepticism from Iranian officials follows recent accusations by the Trump administration.

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump accused Iran of restarting its nuclear programme immediately after the so-called 12-day war with Israel, during which the US heavily targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

He further alleged that Iran was actively working to build ballistic missiles that would "soon" be capable of reaching the US.

Trump also warned that it would be a "very bad day" for Iran if no nuclear deal is successfully reached, after issuing an ultimatum last Thursday giving Iran a 10-day deadline before the US might take direct military action.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s threatening rhetoric on Wednesday, accusing Iran of restarting their nuclear programme: "You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it. They're not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can".

Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s goal was to assess whether an agreement with Tehran can be reached: "The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon".

The US has deployed one of its most significant military buildups to the Middle East ahead of possible strikes on Iran.