Iran FM Offers More Intrusive Nuclear Inspections If US Gives Sanctions Relief

Speaking to reporters in New York, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he sees an opportunity for negotiation on a new nuclear deal in which Iran would accept even more intrusive nuclear inspections, and the US would lift sanctions in return.

“If Trump wants more for more, we can ratify the Additional Protocol and he can lift the sanctions he set,” Zarif said. US officials more or less immediately dismissed this idea.

On the one hand, the offer isn’t a huge new concession from Iran, which has been voluntarily complying with the Additional Protocol all along, and has offered to sign it in the past for the US complying with their side of the P5+1 deal.

In effect this is the same thing, and would bring the US back into the deal, with Iran doing something they’re willing to do if the US actually complies with the deal this time. Unsurprisingly, a Trump Administration that opposed the deal just on general terms doesn’t see much benefit to this.

Officials also objected to the idea that the deal would allow Iran to continue civilian enrichment of uranium, saying that they might eventually get a nuclear weapon, and that the offer also did not address the many other US problems with Iran.