Iran hopes for new nuclear deal with Trump

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iran expressed hope on Wednesday for reaching a new nuclear agreement with US President Donald Trump.

This came during the participation of Iran’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

When asked if Iran believes the US might agree to a new deal, Zarif said, “I hope that this time around, a ‘Trump 2’ will be more serious, more focused, more realistic.”

In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term in office and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

The Davos forum serves as a platform for fostering diplomatic and business relationships among global leaders.

This year’s edition is attended by over 3,000 participants from 130 countries, including 60 heads of state and government.

Following criticism from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding its nuclear activities, Iran announced on Nov. 29 plans to operate thousands of new centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Currently, Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity – a level significantly below the 90% required for nuclear weapons but far exceeding the limits of the original nuclear deal.

Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.