Iran is willing to give reassurances on not seeking nuclear arms and accept changes to its 2015 nuclear accord with world power if the United States returns to the deal and lifts sanctions, a government spokesman said on Wednesday. "If the sanctions are ended and there is a return to the (nuclear) accord, there is room for giving reassurances toward breaking the deadlock and the President (Hassan Rohani) has even a proposal for small changes in the accord," the spokesman, Ali Rabiei, said on state TV. Earlier on Tuesday, Rohani said that he was open to discuss small changes, additions or amendments to a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers if the United States lifted sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic. Rohani told media in New York that he would be open to discuss with major powers "small changes, additions or amendments" to nuclear deal if sanctions were taken away. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who has adopted an "economic pressure" policy toward Iran to force its leadership to renegotiate the accord, said on Tuesday that he had no intention of lifting sanctions on Iran. "All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran's bloodlust," Trump said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly annual gathering of world leaders. "As long as Iran's menacing behavior continues sanctions will not be lifted, they will be tightened." However, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, when asked by journalists whether Iran was open to changes in the nuclear pact, said: "No changes to the JCPOA (nuclear deal)". Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that Iran could engage in multilateral discussions if the United States returned to the deal and lifted sanctions. Trump wants to renegotiate a deal that ends Iran's ballistic missile program, further curbs its nuclear program and halts its proxy wars across the Middle East, from Syria to Yemen. — Agencies
