Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said a U.S.-Iran deal is "within reach" if diplomacy is prioritised, ahead of expected Geneva talks. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to meet an Iranian delegation on Thursday. Tehran has proposed measures on highly enriched uranium in exchange for recognition of peaceful enrichment and sanctions relief, while warning it would respond to any attack.
Iran Says U.S. Deal ‘Within Reach’ If Diplomacy Is Prioritised Ahead Of Geneva Talks
FILE PHOTO: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, at the time its U.N. ambassador, speaks to the media outside Security Council chambers at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
DUBAI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that a deal with the United States was "within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority," comments made days before a planned new round of talks in Geneva.
A senior U.S. official said the talks are scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, where U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet an Iranian delegation. The renewed diplomatic engagement comes as Washington increases its military presence in the Middle East, a build-up Tehran has warned it would meet with countermeasures if attacked.
Diplomacy, Not Escalation
"We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests," Araqchi wrote on X, urging that diplomacy be prioritised. He added that Tehran would return to the negotiating table "with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal in the shortest possible time."
Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told state media Iran was prepared to take "all necessary steps" to secure an agreement with Washington, saying: "We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith."
Nuclear Proposal On The Table
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Tehran would seriously consider a package that could include sending half of its most highly enriched uranium abroad, diluting the remainder, and taking part in a regional enrichment consortium — a proposal that has resurfaced periodically during previous diplomatic efforts.
The official said Iran would seek U.S. recognition of its right to "peaceful nuclear enrichment" as part of any deal, along with the lifting of economic sanctions.
Warnings And Red Lines
Takht-Ravanchi warned that any attack on Iran would be met in line with Tehran's defence plans, describing a U.S. strike as "a real gamble." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that President Donald Trump favours diplomacy as his first option but remains willing to use lethal force if necessary.
Background
Indirect talks between the two sides last year failed largely over disagreement about uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Washington views as a potential pathway to a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear arms.
Last June, the U.S. and Israel conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites that, according to officials, curtailed enrichment at some facilities. President Trump described key sites as "obliterated," though Iran is still believed to hold stockpiles enriched earlier that the U.S. wants relinquished.
(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; additional reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Muhammad Al Gebaly in Cairo; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Gareth Jones)
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