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Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the United States that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday, days before a second round<\/a> of talks between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n Iran and the US renewed negotiations<\/a> earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation.<\/p>\n The US has dispatched a second aircraft carrier<\/a> to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the sake of an agreement\u2019s durability, it is essential that the US also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns,\u201d foreign ministry deputy director for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said, according to the semi-official Fars<\/em><\/a> news agency.<\/p>\n Iran has threatened retaliation against any US attack, but the official struck a conciliatory note on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cCommon interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations,\u201d Ghanbari said, arguing that the 2015 nuclear pact<\/a> with world powers had not secured US economic interests.<\/p>\n US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a news conference in Bratislava, said President Donald Trump had made it clear that he would prefer diplomacy and a negotiated settlement.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one\u2019s ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we\u2019re going to try,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n In 2018, Trump withdrew <\/a>the US from the pact that had eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, and re-applied tough economic sanctions on Tehran.<\/p>\n On Friday, a source told Reuters<\/em> that a US delegation, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday, a meeting later confirmed to Reuters<\/em> by a senior Iranian official on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cSteve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be travelling, I think they are travelling right now, to have important meetings and we\u2019ll see how that turns out,\u201d Rubio said, without providing further details.<\/p>\n While talks leading to the 2015 nuclear pact were multilateral, the current negotiations are confined to Iran and the United States, with Oman acting as mediator.<\/p>\n Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signalled Iran\u2019s readiness to compromise on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, telling the BBC<\/em><\/a> on Sunday that the ball was \u201cin America\u2019s court to prove that they want to do a deal\u201d.<\/p>\n The senior official referred to the Iranian atomic chief\u2019s statement on Monday that the country could agree to dilute <\/a>its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for the lifting of sanctions as an example of Iran\u2019s flexibility.<\/p>\n However, he reiterated that Tehran would not accept zero uranium enrichment, a key sticking point in past negotiations, with Washington viewing enrichment inside Iran as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons.<\/p>\n In June, the US joined Israel <\/a>in a series of air strikes<\/a> that targeted Iranian nuclear sites. The US is also stepping up economic pressure on Iran.<\/p>\n At a White House meeting earlier this week, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed that the US would work to reduce Iran\u2019s oil exports to China, Axios<\/em><\/a> reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n China accounts for more than 80 per cent of Iran\u2019s oil exports, so any reduction in that trade would significantly lower Iran\u2019s oil revenue.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a>Open to compromise<\/h2>\n