Iran prepares 'nuclear counterproposal' as Trump threatens limited military strikes: 'They better negotiate a fair deal'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran could have a draft counter-proposal for nuclear talks with the United States ready in the coming days, while US President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military options to force a deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. PHOTO: archive
Abbas Araqchi stated that, following indirect talks held this week in Geneva with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the two sides reached an agreement on some “guiding principles”, but this does not mean an imminent agreement.
“We have a draft counter proposal that could be ready in the next two to three days for internal review,” the head of Iranian diplomacy said, adding that new rounds of negotiations could take place in about a week. Araqchi warned that any military action would seriously complicate diplomatic efforts.
The statements come amid increasing pressure from Washington. According to some American officials cited by Reuters, US military planning regarding Iran would have reached an advanced stage, being analyzed including options targeting key individuals or even changing the leadership in Tehran, in case of a presidential order.
On Thursday, Trump gave Iran a deadline of 10-15 days to reach a deal to resolve the long-running nuclear dispute, warning that failure to do so would result in “very bad things”, amid a strengthening of the American military presence in the Middle East.
Asked if he was considering a limited strike, Trump said: “I can say I'm considering it,” later adding: “They'd better negotiate a fair deal.”
In parallel, Trump made references to the crackdown on protests in Iran, claiming that tens of thousands of people had been killed in a short period of time – claims that could not be immediately verified. US-based Hrana reported more than 7,100 confirmed deaths and more than 11,000 under verification, while Araqchi said Iranian authorities had released an official list of 3,117 people killed during the protests.
In a public message, Araqchi emphasized that a diplomatic agreement is “at hand” and could be obtained “in a very short time”, stating that the current talks are not aimed at the total elimination of uranium enrichment, but at guaranteeing the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for some sanctions-related measures.
A White House official reacted by saying that Washington's position remains unchanged: Iran “can't have nuclear weapons or the ability to build them” and “cannot enrich uranium”.
Concerns about escalating tensions have also been echoed by the United Nations, which has drawn attention to increasingly harsh rhetoric and increased military activity in the region.
