Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an interview published Thursday in the Financial Times that the US and Iran are showing flexibility regarding a nuclear agreement. "It is a positive sign that it appears the Americans are willing to accept uranium enrichment in Iran, subject to clear limits that will be set in advance," Fidan said.
Turkey has played a central role in mediating between the US and Iran, which led to the round of negotiations held on Friday in Oman. According to Fidan, "The Iranians understand they need to reach an agreement with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain red lines. There is no point trying to force them."
In an interview published earlier this week on CNN Türk, Fidan said, "Right now, at least, there does not appear to be an immediate threat of war," but added, "We are doing everything we can to prevent disaster." Fidan revealed that Turkey has made clear to Washington that an "all or nothing" approach toward Iran will not yield results, and that Ankara has recommended the Americans focus first on the nuclear issue and not demand Tehran address four issues simultaneously – the missile issue, support for terrorist organizations, treatment of protesters, alongside the nuclear project.
According to him, Iran is prepared to discuss only two issues – the nature of uranium enrichment, and what will be done with uranium enriched to 60%.
Fidan added in the interview with the British newspaper that he estimates Tehran "genuinely wants to reach a real agreement" and will agree to limits on enrichment levels and a strict oversight regime, as it did in the 2015 nuclear deal. However, he warned that expanding the talks to include ballistic missiles "will bring nothing but another war."
Until now, Washington has demanded Iran give up its stockpile of uranium enriched to levels up to 60%, a short distance from the 90% level considered sufficient for producing nuclear weapons. According to estimates, Tehran's stockpile is sufficient, after further enrichment, to produce about ten nuclear bombs. Additionally, the US has demanded that Iran not enrich uranium on its soil.
Publicly, Iran rejects demands to remove the uranium stockpile from the country and demands recognition of what it sees as its right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Despite this, the New York Times reported during the recent tensions that Iranian National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani proposed, in a meeting with Putin, transferring the stockpile to Russia, while ideas such as a regional uranium enrichment consortium in which Iran could participate have also emerged.
Fidan's remarks came against the backdrop of the first round of negotiations between the US and Iran, held on Friday in Oman with Omani mediation. Alongside the diplomacy, the US has significantly increased its military presence in the region – the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is deployed in the Middle East along with warships, air defense systems, and fighter jets.
On Tuesday, President Trump said in an interview with Axios that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the region, and on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon has ordered a carrier strike group to prepare for deployment. According to the report, the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, which is completing exercises off the Virginia coast, may deploy to the region within two weeks. If deployed, this would be the first time in about a year that two American aircraft carriers have operated in the Middle East simultaneously.
On Wednesday, Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House in a meeting that lasted about three hours. After the meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he "insisted negotiations with Iran continue to see if a deal can be completed," but added a threat – "Last time Iran decided it was better not to sign a deal, and it got hit with a 'midnight hammer' – and that did not work out well for it."
Iranian preparations for attack continue
Iran is working to fortify the site adjacent to the nuclear facility at Natanz, also called "Pickaxe Mountain" (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La), according to a new report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) published Wednesday. The report is based on satellite images from Monday showing extensive construction activity at the site, including concrete pouring, truck traffic, and use of heavy engineering equipment.
Earlier this month, the institute reported Iran had completed covering the entrances to the tunnel complex in Isfahan as part of its preparations for the possibility of an airstrike or ground forces raid on its nuclear facilities, similar to the pattern observed before the attacks in the June war.
According to the report, Monday's satellite images reveal ongoing fortification work at two of the entrances to the complex. Active traffic of heavy vehicles was observed at the site, including transport trucks, concrete mixers, excavators and cranes. For example, at the western entrance, concrete was poured over the tunnel opening, and at one of the eastern entrances, earth and rocks were pushed and piled above the opening.
During the past month, a reinforced concrete frame was also added above the tunnel opening, designed to bear additional protective layers. According to the report's authors, all these measures are intended to strengthen the tunnel openings and protect them from an airstrike.
The Pickaxe Mountain complex is located about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) south of the enrichment facility at Natanz, which was the heart of Iran's enrichment program. Construction at the site began in late 2020, and Iran claimed it was intended for establishing a factory to produce advanced centrifuges.
However, the size of the complex and the protection provided by the depth of construction inside the mountain – according to estimates even deeper than Fordow – raised immediate concern among experts that Iran might be planning to conduct additional sensitive activities there, primarily uranium enrichment.
Nevertheless, the report's authors estimate the facility is probably not yet ready for operation, due to the presence of heavy engineering equipment at the site. However, in recent months, smaller vehicles and closed vehicles have also been observed near the entrances, raising the possibility Iran has begun bringing equipment into the tunnels.
It is unclear exactly what Iran plans to do at the facility, and whether it possesses the equipment required for it after the attacks on its nuclear program in the June war. The report's authors also cast doubt on whether the level of infrastructure visible at the site – one ventilation shaft and overhead and underground power lines – is sufficient to support activities such as uranium enrichment.
