Gain access to the White House Watch newsletter without cost
Your guide to what Trump’s second presidential term signifies for Washington, commerce and the globe
Iran’s chief diplomat expressed hope that a proposition for a nuclear accord would be submitted to the US in the forthcoming days, even as President Donald Trump indicated he was considering initiating restricted strikes to compel the regime into forging an equitable agreement.
Abbas Araghchi articulated on Friday his desire to secure a “swift pact” with the US, aiming to avert “an unwarranted and catastrophic conflict.”
Araghchi informed MSNBC that he anticipated “the preliminary version of a potential deal” would be ready for presentation to US envoys within the next two to three days. “I do not believe it will be protracted; perhaps within approximately a week, we can commence genuinely substantive discussions on the text and arrive at a resolution,” he remarked.
On Friday, Trump stated that Washington’s alternatives encompassed limited assaults intended to press the administration into concluding a deal, as opposed to a more extensive military undertaking. “I suppose I can affirm I am evaluating it,” the US president conveyed when questioned regarding these strategies.
Subsequently, he declared that the Iranian government “ought to broker a just agreement.”
“I feel profound sympathy for the populace of Iran; they have endured immense suffering,” he added, citing a statistic of 32,000 Iranians who perished during the regime’s suppression of demonstrators in January. “The people of Iran are quite distinct from their leadership.”
The human rights advocacy group Hrana reported it has verified over 7,000 fatalities during the turmoil and is investigating further incidents. Tehran, however, reports a reduced figure of 3,117.
The Iranian chief diplomat’s remarks followed Trump’s statement on Thursday that Iran had a “maximum” of 15 days to reach an accord with the US, or “adverse consequences would ensue.”
Araghchi asserted that Washington had not requested Tehran to indefinitely halt uranium enrichment as part of a future agreement, a measure the US president has consistently advocated. “We have not proposed any suspension, and the US side has not demanded a complete cessation of enrichment,” he clarified.
Reacting to the foreign minister’s interview, a White House official commented that Trump “has been unequivocal that Iran cannot possess nuclear weaponry or the capability to construct it, and that they cannot process uranium.”
Washington has amassed its largest contingent of armed forces in the Middle East since the 2003 incursion into Iraq, aiming to intensify coercion against Tehran.
This deployment comprises 12 American naval vessels, as per the US Navy, including a carrier and eight destroyers. A second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, is also heading to the area.
Brent crude remained steady on Friday after increasing by 5.5 percent this week to hover near a six-month peak.
Nonetheless, Araghchi expressed that he did not perceive Trump’s 15-day deadline and the accumulation of American military might as a “final demand.”
“A prompt agreement is something both parties are desirous of,” he stated.
US and Iranian envoys engaged in mediated discussions in Geneva earlier this week concerning a potential atomic pact. Both sides indicated advancement, and a US official mentioned Iran would return within two weeks with “comprehensive propositions.”
Nevertheless, US vice-president JD Vance stated then that Trump had some “non-negotiable points that the Iranians are currently disinclined to truly recognize,” while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked: “We are still widely divergent on certain matters.”
Irreversibly dismantling its capability for enrichment — a procedure that can produce atomic fuel and fissile material suitable for weaponry — constitutes an unacceptable condition for Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran maintains its nuclear initiative is for peaceful applications.
The US has furthermore stated that the discussions should encompass restricting Iran’s guided missile initiative and ceasing its patronage for insurgent groups in the area. Tehran, however, contends those subjects are non-negotiable, asserting the attention must exclusively center on the nuclear programme.
Araghchi conveyed on Friday that Iran was seeking the removal of US restrictions in exchange for “diplomatic pledges and procedural safeguards” from Tehran “to ensure that this programme is solely for non-military ends.”
“One aspect I must underscore is that there exists no armed resolution for Iran’s nuclear programme,” he affirmed. “We are ready for . . . conflict, and we are ready for tranquility.”
Further contributions by Rachel Rees in London