Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said both the United States and Iran are showing signs of flexibility in efforts to revive a nuclear agreement, but warned that broadening the scope of negotiations could push the region toward renewed conflict.
In an interview published on Thursday by the Financial Times, Fidan said Washington had indicated a willingness to soften its long-standing demand that Iran end all uranium enrichment — a key sticking point in previous talks.
“It is positive that the Americans appear willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly set boundaries,” Fidan told the FT.
Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has consistently maintained that enrichment is its sovereign right.
Fidan said Tehran appears prepared to accept limits on enrichment levels and strict inspections, similar to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.
“The Iranians now recognise that they need to reach a deal with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. It’s pointless to try to force them,” he said.
‘Expanding talks could risk striking a deal’
However, Fidan issued a stark warning against expanding negotiations to cover Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional armed groups.
“If the US insists on addressing all the issues simultaneously… I’m afraid even the nuclear file will not move forward… the result could be another war in the region,” he cautioned.
Indirect talks between US envoys and Iranian officials resumed in Muscat last week, the first engagement since Washington joined Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June.
Both sides described the meeting as constructive and signalled that further rounds are expected.
While former US demands included curbs on Iran’s missile arsenal and support for groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, President Donald Trump recently suggested that a nuclear-only deal could be “acceptable.”
Fidan said regional powers, including Türkiye, are working on “creative ideas” to address broader security concerns without collapsing the nuclear track.
He stressed that rebuilding trust between Iran and its neighbours would be essential to any lasting agreement.
“There is a significant trust gap with regional countries, and addressing that dimension is essential,” he said.
