Iran wants to explore interim nuclear deal in talks with US

Iran is considering proposing during talks with the US that the two countries work on an interim nuclear agreement before pursuing negotiations over a comprehensive deal, a European diplomat and a source familiar with the issue told Axios, Report informs.

President Trump has set a two-month deadline for negotiations with Iran on a new nuclear deal — and in the meantime ordered a build-up of US military forces in the Middle East as another option if diplomacy fails.

If a deal isn't reached, Trump could order a US military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities or support an Israeli strike.

The sources said the Iranians think reaching a complex and highly technical nuclear deal in two months is unrealistic and they want to get more time on the clock to avoid an escalation.

"The Iranians seem to believe that a sustainable deal is unlikely to be achieved in the timeframe that President Trump has in mind. It might therefore be necessary to consider an interim agreement as a way station toward a final deal," says Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group.

An interim agreement between the US and Iran could include suspending some of Iran's uranium enrichment activity, diluting its 60% enriched uranium stockpile and allowing UN inspectors more access to Iran's nuclear facilities.

Experts told Axios these steps would only slightly increase Iran's timeline for developing a nuclear bomb. But they could help build trust for negotiations on a comprehensive deal.

An interim agreement could also involve extending the "snapback" mechanism that was part of the 2015 nuclear deal. The mechanism, which triggers UN Security Council sanctions against Iran if it violates the agreement, is set to expire in October.

France, the UK and Germany told Iran they are going to trigger the "snapback" of sanctions if no new deal is reached by the end of June.