Iranian Minister Says Nuclear Deal Is Possible This Week

Two days before negotiations resume in Geneva between Iran and the United States and other Western powers aimed at ending a fight over the disputed Iranian nuclear program, the country’s foreign minister sounded an optimistic note on Tuesday, saying a deal was possible as soon as this week.

“I believe it is even possible to reach that agreement this week,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with France 24, a major television network here, before meeting with the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius.

“But I can only talk for our side,” Mr. Zarif added. “I cannot talk for the other side.”

Iran has been on an outreach mission since the June election of Hassan Rouhani, who appears to have made getting rid of painful economic sanctions a centerpiece of his policy. The country now appears willing both to discuss the enforcement of more comprehensive controls on its nuclear program and to answer outstanding questions from the United Nations’ atomic energy arm, the International Atomic Energy Agency, about its program.

At the last Geneva meeting in mid-October, Iran announced that it had offered a framework for talks, and the approach was well received by American officials. However, the parties are still far from a deal, which would have multiple elements and would have to satisfy even countries that are not directly involved in the negotiations, like Israel, which has long feared that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon secretly, regardless of what it says publicly.

Iran has always insisted that its program is peaceful and will be used only to generate electricity and for medical purposes. However, Iran has achieved the ability to enrich uranium up to 20 percent purity, and it is then relatively easy to increase enrichment to 90 percent, at which point it can be used to make a nuclear weapon, according to atomic experts.

Those involved in the Geneva talks include the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, France and England — as well as Germany.

For the United States, the opening offered by Mr. Rouhani is a rare chance to change the tone of relations between the West and Iran. If Iran is truly willing to give verifiable guarantees that it will not pursue a nuclear weapon, then the United States might be willing to lead an effort to lift the sanctions. It would also allow the United States to engage more deeply with Iran over the violent situation in Syria, in which Iran has backed President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels fighting to overthrow him.