Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday that Tehran expects to finalize a draft nuclear counterproposal within days, signaling potential diplomatic progress despite escalating military tensions in the Middle East. The development comes as the United States maintains a substantial military presence in the region, with President Donald Trump having issued a 10-15 day ultimatum for Iran to reach an agreement or face severe consequences.
In a televised interview with MS NOW, Araghchi clarified critical aspects of the ongoing negotiations, stating unequivocally that Iran had not offered to suspend uranium enrichment and that American officials had not demanded complete cessation of enrichment activities. Instead, discussions have focused on establishing verifiable safeguards to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program in perpetuity.
The Iranian diplomat outlined plans for implementing both technical and political confidence-building measures that would provide international assurance of peaceful intentions. These measures would be exchanged for specific actions regarding sanctions relief, though Araghchi declined to provide detailed specifications regarding either the safeguards or the sanctions negotiations.
While not specifying exact timing, Araghchi indicated that additional US-Iran talks could resume within approximately one week following internal review of Iran’s forthcoming proposal by senior officials in Tehran. He expressed optimism that a diplomatic resolution remained achievable within a compressed timeframe, despite the looming American deadline.
The White House declined to immediately comment on Araghchi’s statements. However, an unnamed Trump administration official later contradicted portions of the foreign minister’s account, asserting that US negotiators had indeed maintained the position of no uranium enrichment. According to this source, American officials communicated to their Iranian counterparts that any counterproposal must demonstrate concrete safeguards ensuring the purely energy-oriented nature of Iran’s nuclear activities, with a detailed proposal expected within one week.
Araghchi separately addressed the US military buildup in the region, warning that military options would significantly complicate diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement. The situation remains tense as both diplomatic and military timelines converge in what represents one of the most critical periods in recent US-Iran relations.