Iran 'signalling in every way' that it wants US deal, says Jake Sullivan

Iran is "signalling in every way" that it wants to do a nuclear deal with the United States and begin to normalise relations, according to former US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

In an interview with The National, Mr Sullivan, a key figure in the 2015 deal with Iran, predicted a deal could end up looking like a reboot of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which US President Donald Trump axed in 2018.

Tehran agreed to stop producing weaponised nuclear materials and only pursue civilian programmes.

"I spent a lot of time in rooms with Iranian diplomats negotiating in the run-up to the JCPOA," said Mr Sullivan, who was involved in secret talks with Iranian officials a decade ago in the Obama administration.

"I would say, though, that Iran is signalling in every way they possibly can that they want to do a deal.

"The real question is, what is going to be the shape of that deal, especially what is going to be the status of Iranian enrichment?"

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed doubt that nuclear talks with the US will lead to a new agreement. On the same day, Qatar said it is working to bridge the remaining gaps to keep a deal alive. In a rare visit to Tehran by The National this week, regime officials told of "serious problems" with the talks.

Iranian newspaper Arman Meli leads with a headline saying 'Negotiations, tough but useful', with a picture of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The headline marks a substantial change in attitude from past hostility to the US. EPA

Mr Trump is currently grappling with Republican figures who will not "tolerate any deal that doesn't have complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme", Mr Sullivan said. He predicted the Trump administration could offer the flexibility within the GOP to get the deal over the line.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Sullivan said Mr Trump had effectively told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "do as you please in Gaza". Critics accused the Biden administration of the same.

"I think what he's [Trump] saying is I'm moving forward on an agenda relative to Syria, Iran, the Gulf, and if Israel wants to be a part of that, fine, if they don't, fine."

Trump's Gulf play

Speaking about the Ukraine-Russia war, Mr Sullivan said the Trump administration would need to "have to increase pressure on Russia because right now Vladimir Putin thinks he's winning this war".

"He doesn't want President Trump to flip on him. So he's going to have to show some willingness to engage towards peace. He'll try to string things along in a diplomatic process while fighting on the battlefield."

Mr Sullivan was asked for his view on Mr Trump's landmark tour of the Gulf last week. He observed a shift in the president's thinking on the Middle East.

"One of the things that really stood out to me was President Trump basically said: I'm not entering the Middle East through Israel. I'm entering the Middle East through the Gulf - because I see in these Gulf leaders partners for peace... and I don't see that as much in Israel.

"That to me was a striking moment."