ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled on Friday he was expediting Tehran’s proposal for a nuclear agreement with Washington amid a massive US military buildup that he warned could spark a regional war.
In an interview with the US news network MS Now, Araghchi said he will draft a proposal for Iran’s nuclear program within two to three days, accelerating the original two-week timeline amid growing threats of US military strikes. The US has mobilized a massive fleet of warships and fighter jets - including the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford - in one of the biggest US military deployments to the Middle East in decades.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday set a 10- to 15-day deadline for Iran, saying it was “enough time” to reach a deal. On Friday, he confirmed reports that he was considering limited strikes.
“We’re going to make a deal - or get a deal - one way or the other,” Trump said.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated this week following a second round of indirect talks mediated by Oman. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is considering conducting limited strikes on military or government sites and widening military operations if talks fail. Trump has repeatedly said he prefers a diplomatic settlement.
Speaking to MSNow, Araghchi claimed US strikes would not eliminate its nuclear program. He pressed for diplomacy, calling the military buildup “absolutely unnecessary and unhelpful.”
“A military option would only complicate this and would only bring about disastrous consequences, not only for us but for perhaps the whole region and the whole international community,” he warned.
Araghchi, who is the lead negotiator for Iran, said Tehran is “prepared for war, and we are prepared for peace.”
Tehran has also mobilized its military to pressure diplomacy. The Iranian military temporarily blocked the Strait of Hormuz - the passageway for one-fifth of the world's oil supply - to conduct drills during the talks on Tuesday. Iran’s state-run news agency also reported that Tehran will hold military exercises with Russia and China.
US not demanding zero enrichment: Araghchi
The US is demanding Iran curb its uranium enrichment, while Iran insists its program is conducted for peaceful purposes. Washington has also sought to end Iran’s ballistic missile program, a key Israeli demand that Iran firmly rejects.
Tehran has not offered to suspend its program, and US negotiators have not demanded “zero enrichment,” Araghchi revealed during the interview, saying that both sides want a “quick deal.”
While US negotiators have not spoken publicly about the talks, Vice-President JD Vance said shortly after Tuesday’s negotiations that the Iranians had not acknowledged certain “red lines.”
CBS News reported that Iran was considering expanding the deal to include buying US aircrafts and offering access to its oil and gas fields.
Araghchi said he is in contact with US chief negotiators, Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, in addition to consulting International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi. He urged the US to choose diplomacy over war, suggesting that Washington was split into two camps as Trump weighs both options.
Araghchi said, “I hope that those who are seeking war and want to drag the United States into an unnecessary and disastrous war once again… won’t prevail and [will] let us diplomats work with each other to find a diplomatic solution.”
“A deal “is [within] our reach and can be achieved in a very short period of time,” he added.
Araghchi repeated Iran’s demand for a “fair and equitable” solution whereby Washington “is absolutely confident that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and would remain peaceful - and for Iran, [that] sanctions are lifted.”