Iran eyes 'Trump 2' nuclear deal, says Oct 7 attack hit talks with US

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Hamas' October 7, 2023 blitz on Israel had "destroyed" an opportunity for talks with Washington to revive a landmark nuclear accord while expressing hope of reaching a new nuclear agreement with US President Donald Trump.

"We did not know about October 7... We were supposed to have a meeting with the Americans on JCPOA renewal on October 9, which was undermined and destroyed by this operation," Zarif said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, using an acronym for the official name of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

"We never tried to cash (in on) our investment in the region," he added.

"Right now as you look at Gaza… Netanyahu did not achieve his goal of destroying Hamas, Hamas is still there. Israel had to come to a ceasefire," Zarif said.

"I wouldn't suggest anybody start rejoicing over destroying Hamas as well as the Palestinian resistance, or cutting Iran's arms, because the resistance will stay as long as they’re occupied."

Zarif hopes Trump would choose 'rationality'

Zarif, who is currently Iran's vice president for strategic affairs, was the foreign minister who negotiated the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

In 2018, during Trump's first term in office, Washington withdrew from the deal, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Tehran had adhered to the deal until Washington's withdrawal, but then began rolling back on its commitments.

Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the accord.

Earlier this month, before Trump officially returned to the White House, Iranian officials held nuclear talks with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany.

Both sides described the talks as "frank and constructive".

"After withdrawing from the JCPOA, Iran has gained much more nuclear capability... based on American breakout calculations," Zarif said, while insisting that Tehran had never pursued a nuclear weapon.

"Had we wanted to build a nuclear weapon, we could have done it a long time ago. But a programme to build nuclear weapons is not going to be like our programme."

Zarif further expressed hopes that Trump would choose "rationality" and "be more serious, more focused, more realistic" in dealing with Iran during this term in office.

"I hope that this time around, a 'Trump 2' will be more serious, more focused, more realistic."

Near bomb-grade uranium

Iran currently has about 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent of weapons grade, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

According to an International Atomic Energy Agency yardstick, that is close to enough material in principle, if enriched further, for five nuclear weapons.

Grossi said a recent acceleration in enrichment to up to 60 percent by Iran had multiplied its production rate at that level by seven.