Iran says US must prove readiness for nuclear deal (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC that the ball is now in America's court to prove it's ready to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Majid Taqt Ravanchi said Tehran was prepared to consider compromises if the United States was willing to discuss lifting sanctions. The US has sent two warships to the Middle East to put pressure on Iran to reach an agreement. Mr Taqt Ravanchi confirmed that the second round of talks this month will be held on Tuesday in Geneva.

[00:00:30] Speaker 2: He spoke to our chief international correspondent Lisa Set in Tehran. Without the other side committing itself to do their share. So it has to be a give and take. That is what compromise is all about.

[00:01:06] Speaker 3: All sanctions? Some.

[00:01:08] Speaker 2: Let's discuss. Let's discuss what sanctions we are talking about.

[00:01:12] Speaker 3: We hear some reports that the US has moved away from its demand that you have zero nuclear enrichment. Have they accepted?

[00:01:20] Speaker 2: You have to pose this question to the United States.

[00:01:23] Speaker 3: But you, let's ask you. That you are discussing now a certain, in the last year it was 3.67 percent. It will be around that?

[00:01:31] Speaker 2: We are not talking about a specific figure here. But it seems to us that we have already passed that stage. That the issue of zero enrichment is an issue anymore.

[00:01:46] Speaker 3: So they've dropped that demand?

[00:01:47] Speaker 2: As I said, you have to ask this question.

[00:01:50] Speaker 3: But as far as you understand, you're at the table, you know what the deal is.

[00:01:53] Speaker 2: As far as we are concerned, zero enrichment is not on the table.

[00:01:57] Speaker 3: Are you optimistic a deal can be reached?

[00:02:00] Speaker 2: It is too early to say whether we will reach an agreement. You know, after one round, one cannot say for sure. Bearing in mind the fact that we experienced a war in the middle of negotiations. So one meeting is not enough to assure us that the other side is serious. But the first round was more or less a good one, a good start. And let's see what will happen down the road.

[00:02:26] Speaker 3: President Trump's latest remark says that regime change will be a very good thing to see in Iran. When you hear that, what do you think? Is that really, is that what it's all about?

[00:02:35] Speaker 2: That is a clear example of a mixed signal.

[00:02:38] Speaker 3: But what do they tell you in the private messages?

[00:02:40] Speaker 2: No, we are not hearing these slogans in the private conversation. That I can tell you.

[00:02:47] Speaker 3: He's made it clear that if the diplomacy doesn't succeed, it will be very traumatic for Iran, the war. And that they are, the American military might is building in the region. Would that battle be existential for Iran?

[00:03:04] Speaker 2: It will be traumatic. Existential? Bad for everybody. It is not as if that Iran will suffer only. Everybody will suffer, particularly those who have initiated this aggression. If we feel, if we feel that this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly.

[00:03:30] Speaker 3: Do you feel it is an existential threat that's building? A battle for survival?

[00:03:36] Speaker 2: I really don't know. I prefer not to comment on this because it is not, it is not wise even to think about, you know, such a, such a very dangerous scenario. Because if we come to that point, therefore the whole region will be in mess. And we do not want to see that happening.

[00:04:03] Speaker 3: Minister, Dr. Ravanchi, as we speak, is it your feeling that Iran is on the brink of a breakthrough in diplomacy or another war?

[00:04:13] Speaker 2: We are hopeful. We are hopeful that we can, we can get the job done through peaceful means. Although one cannot be 100 percent sure. That is why we have made every measures, precautionary measures to be alert, not to be surprised again, and not to use any chance to defend ourselves.

[00:04:38] Speaker 3: Well, it's Marco Rubio said President Trump prefers a deal, but he said it's a, it's hard to get, very hard to get a deal with Iran. He says it's, it's up to you.

[00:04:48] Speaker 2: No, the ball is in America's court. I mean, they have to prove that they, they want to, to, to, to have a deal with us. And if there is a sincerity, if we see a sincerity on their part, I'm sure that we will be on a road to, to have, to have an agreement.

[00:05:07] Speaker 1: And that was Iran's deputy foreign minister, Majid Taq Trovanchi, speaking to our chief international correspondent, Lise Doucette. And you can read much more of Lise's analysis on events happening in Iran. She has been reporting from Iran. You can find that on the BBC News website.