Ahead of Thursday talks, Iranian FM says nuclear deal ‘within reach’ if ‘diplomacy is given priority’

Ahead of the next expected round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that “a deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given a priority,” in a series of posts on his X account.

1/4 Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) February 24, 2026

“Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the US in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time,” Araghchi writes, reiterating that while Iran “will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” it refuses to give up its rights to “peaceful nuclear technology.”

Channel 12 reported this evening that Araghchi has received approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a draft counterproposal ahead of the talks in Geneva on Thursday, which the US reportedly views as a final chance at increasing diplomatic momentum instead of choosing to confront Iran militarily, but the draft was said not to have been submitted to the US.

While the US has demanded that Iran give up uranium enrichment entirely, as well as limit its ballistic missile program and support for regional proxies, Tehran insists on a strictly nuclear deal that allows it to maintain a limited level of enrichment, ostensibly for civilian purposes.