By Elsie Kamsiyochi
Iran is preparing a formal counterproposal in its high-stakes nuclear negotiations with the United States, with a draft expected to be ready within days, according to Iran’s foreign minister.
The comments come amid mounting military tension in the Middle East and a sharply tightening deadline set by Washington, raising both hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough and fears of escalation.
Speaking in an interview with U.S. cable network MS NOW on Friday, Abbas Araqchi sought to clarify the current state of negotiations. He said neither side had taken the most hardline positions often attributed to them in public rhetoric.
“We have not offered any suspension and the U.S. side has not asked for zero enrichment,” Araqchi said, pushing back against suggestions that talks had reached an immediate impasse over Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.
Focus on assurances, not absolutes
According to Araqchi, the discussions are centred not on dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, but on ensuring it remains peaceful over the long term.
“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear programme, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,” he said.
He added that both technical and political “confidence-building measures” were being explored. These steps, while not detailed publicly, would be designed to reassure the international community about Iran’s intentions.
In return, Tehran expects some form of sanctions relief — a longstanding demand given the heavy toll Western sanctions have taken on Iran’s economy.
Araqchi said he anticipated having a draft counterproposal ready within the next two or three days, after which it would be reviewed by senior Iranian officials. Further talks with U.S. envoys could follow within a week, suggesting that diplomatic engagement remains active despite the tense backdrop.
A narrowing window for diplomacy
The comments come just one day after Donald Trump publicly warned Tehran that it had between 10 and 15 days to strike a deal or face what he described as “really bad things.” His remarks coincided with a visible buildup of U.S. military forces in the region, fuelling speculation about the possibility of limited strikes if talks collapse.
Araqchi cautioned that military threats would only make diplomacy harder. “A military option would complicate everything,” he said, arguing that pressure and coercion risk undermining the fragile progress made at the negotiating table.
The White House did not immediately comment on Araqchi’s remarks. However, MS NOW host Joe Scarborough later cited an unnamed Trump administration official who said U.S. negotiators had reiterated that Trump’s position remained opposition to any enrichment.
The official added that the burden was now on Tehran to demonstrate, through concrete safeguards, that its nuclear activities would be strictly limited to civilian power generation.
According to that account, U.S. negotiators have demanded a detailed Iranian proposal within a week — underscoring how compressed the timeline has become.
Between compromise and confrontation
The emerging picture suggests both sides are attempting to leave room for compromise while simultaneously hardening their public stances for domestic and international audiences.
Iran insists enrichment is a sovereign right, while Washington remains sceptical that enrichment can be safely separated from weapons potential.
For now, Araqchi struck a cautiously optimistic tone, saying a diplomatic agreement was within reach and could be achieved “in a very short period of time” if political will existed on both sides.
Whether that optimism proves justified may depend on what Iran’s counterproposal contains — and whether it can bridge the gap between U.S. demands for ironclad guarantees and Iran’s determination to preserve the core of its nuclear programme.
As deadlines loom and military options are openly discussed, the coming days could prove decisive for the future of U.S.–Iran relations and stability across the Middle East.
Source Reuters
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