Iran ready to make concessions and sign deal ‘today,’ says Ayatollah aide

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader told NBC News that a deal could be signed “today.”

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader told NBC News on Wednesday that Iran is ready to send away all its highly enriched uranium and make other significant concessions if the U.S. lifts all economic sanctions on his country.

Ali Shamkhani, a rear admiral who is a member of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top advisory council and is consulted on political, military and nuclear issues, indicated Tehran’s high interest in making a deal when he told the American media outlet that an agreement could be signed “today.”

Besides getting rid of its nearly 300 kg of uranium that is one short step shy of being weapons-grade material and enough to make six nuclear bombs, Iran would be willing to commit to enriching its stockpile in the future only to the level needed for civilian use of nuclear energy, Shamkhani said.

In addition, Tehran would allow the return of regular inspections of its nuclear facilities by members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who have not been allowed in for the past several years.

“His comments appear to be the clearest public statement yet on Iran’s expectations and willingness to reach a deal from the supreme leader’s inner circle,” the report said.

Iran and the U.S. held their fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday, which were described by the Iranians as “difficult but useful.”

An American official said the U.S. was “encouraged by today’s outcome” and that the next meeting “will happen in the near future.”

On Tuesday, while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the first stop on a brief Mideast tour this week that does not include Israel, President Donald Trump made both conciliatory and threatening remarks regarding Iran.

“I want to make a deal with Iran,” he said. “If I can make a deal with Iran, I’ll be very happy. We’re going to make your region and the world a safer place. But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure.”

Wednesday’s interview with Shamkhani took place hours later.

That same day, the U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions against three leading Iranian nuclear weapons scientists and 18 other individuals and entities for what it said was “their involvement in efforts to help the Iranian regime domestically source the manufacturing of critical materials needed for Tehran’s ballistic missile program.”

Ballistic missiles are crucial to the Iranian nuclear program because they are the delivery system of choice if Iran decides to bomb another country with a nuclear device.

When Israel attacked Iran in October following Tehran’s second unsuccessful attempt at striking the Jewish state with hundreds of missiles and drones, it destroyed facilities that manufactured vital components of Iran’s ballistic missile program, crippling their production.

The IDF also destroyed all of Iran’s premier aerial defense systems, leaving the country open to airstrikes on its nuclear production sites.

Trump has hinted in the past that if the nuclear talks fail, he would give Israel the green light to attack Iran in this way and even have the U.S. “lead the pack.”

Donald TrumpIran nuclear dealiran nuclear programIranian nuclear talks