Senior Iranian officials signalled a fresh willingness to adjust aspects of the country’s nuclear programme while reiterating that Tehran will not abandon uranium enrichment altogether. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told Japan’s Kyodo News that Iran can be “flexible regarding capacity and enrichment level,” but that any demand for a zero-enrichment policy is unacceptable. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref separately said that a call for zero enrichment is “a joke” and suggested that, should unspecified conditions be met, Iran could engage in direct negotiations with the United States “with dignity,” according to the state-aligned ISNA news agency.