US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is weighing the possibility of a limited strike on Iran after ordering a significant naval buildup in the Middle East to increase pressure on Tehran to reach an agreement curbing its nuclear programme.
The warning followed remarks from Iran’s foreign minister that a
draft proposal for a deal with Washington could be ready within days, after negotiations between the two countries in Geneva earlier this week.
On Thursday, Trump cautioned that “bad things” would occur if Tehran failed to secure a deal within 10 days — a deadline he later extended to 15 days.
When asked Friday whether he was considering a limited military strike, Trump responded, “The most I can say — I am considering it.”
Following the Geneva discussions, Tehran announced that both sides had agreed to exchange draft proposals for a potential accord. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described that step as the next phase in the process.
“I believe that in the next two, three days, that would be ready, and after final confirmation by my superiors, that would be handed over to Steve Witkoff,” he said, referring to Trump’s main Middle East negotiator.
Araghchi also said US negotiators had not asked Tehran to halt its nuclear enrichment programme, contradicting statements made by American officials.
“We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment,” he said in an interview released Friday by US TV network MS NOW.
“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 added.
His remarks differ sharply from comments by senior US officials, including Donald Trump, who has repeatedly maintained that Iran must not be permitted to enrich uranium at any level.
Western nations have accused the Islamic republic of attempting to develop nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran denies — while insisting it has the right to pursue enrichment for civilian use.
For its part, Iran is seeking relief from sanctions that have severely weighed on its economy.
Mounting economic pressure triggered protests in December that grew into a nationwide anti-government movement last month, leading to a crackdown by authorities that rights groups say left thousands dead.
‘No ultimatum’
The two foes held an initial round of discussions on February 6 in Oman, the first since previous talks collapsed during the 12-day Iran-Israel war last June, which the US joined by striking Iranian nuclear facilities.
Washington has pursued a major military build-up in the region in tandem with the talks, and both sides have traded threats of military action for weeks.
On Thursday, Trump again suggested the US would attack Iran if it did not make a deal within the timeframe he laid out.
“We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen,” Trump told the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace”, his initiative for the post-war Gaza Strip.
Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, warned that US bases, facilities and assets would be “legitimate targets” if the United States followed through on its threats.
Araghchi, however, insisted that “there is no ultimatum”.
“We only talk with each other how we can have a fast deal. And a fast deal is something that both sides are interested about,” he said.
“We are under sanctions, (so) obviously any day that sanctions are terminated sooner it would be better for us,” he said, adding Iran had “no reason to delay”.
Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment, but has also sought to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for militant groups in the region – issues which Israel has pushed to include in the talks.
The Israeli army said Friday that it was on “defensive alert” regarding the situation with Iran, but that its guidelines for the public remained unchanged.
Ratcheting up the pressure, Trump has deployed a significant naval force to the region.
After sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and escort battleships to the Gulf in January, he ordered a second carrier, the Gerald Ford, to depart for the Middle East.
Iranian naval forces also conducted military drills this week in the Gulf and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz in their own show of force.
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
