Iran’s foreign minister said yesterday that he expects a draft of Iran’s counter-proposal to be ready within a few days following nuclear talks this week with the United States, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he is considering limited military strikes.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that U.S. military planning for Iran has reached an advanced stage, with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack, including a change of leadership in Tehran if Trump orders it.
The American president on Thursday gave Tehran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement resolving the long-standing nuclear dispute or face “really bad things,” amid a buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East that is fueling fears of a wider war, Index.hr reports.
When reporters at the White House asked him on Friday whether he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal, he replied: “I can say that I am considering it.” Asked later about Iran at a press conference, he added: “They better negotiate a fair deal.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after indirect talks in Geneva this week with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, said the sides had reached agreement on the main “key principles,” though that does not mean a deal is inevitable.
Araghchi told MS NOW in an interview that he has a draft counter-proposal that could be ready in the next two or three days for senior Iranian officials to review, and further talks between the U.S. and Iran could be possible in about a week. He added that military action would complicate efforts to reach a deal.
After the United States and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities and some military sites in June, Trump resumed threatening strikes in January while Tehran violently suppressed large protests, with numerous casualties.
Araghchi did not give a specific time for when the Iranians would present the counter-proposal to Witkoff and Kushner, but said he believes a diplomatic agreement is within reach and could be achieved “very soon.”
United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric again expressed concern over heightened rhetoric and military activity in the region. “We urge both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue diplomatic work to resolve their differences,” Dujarric said at the regular UN press briefing.
During the talks in Geneva, the United States did not demand zero uranium enrichment, and Iran did not offer to suspend enrichment, Araghchi told the American cable TV network MS NOW.
“We are now discussing how to guarantee that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and remains so forever,” he said, adding that technical and political “confidence-building measures” will be adopted to ensure the program remains peaceful in exchange for action on sanctions, but he did not provide details.
“The president has made clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon nor the capacity to build one, and cannot enrich uranium,” the White House said when asked by reporters to comment on Araghchi’s statements.
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