- Tehran says it will defend itself against US action.
- Araghchi expects new negotiations between Iran and the US in Geneva.
- Tehran is preparing a draft agreement to avert conflict.
PARIS: Iran’s top diplomat said on Sunday his country would hit back against US interests in the Middle East in the event of an attack, although he still saw a chance for a diplomatic solution.
Talking to the American television station CBSForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he expected new talks on the details of a deal “probably” on Thursday, as fears loomed of renewed conflict after Washington carried out a major redeployment of military assets to the region.
US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement sparked a major crackdown that rights groups say has killed thousands of people.
“If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said, alluding to US interests in the region as potential targets.
Still, he said, “there is a good chance of getting a diplomatic solution”.
After a recent round of talks in Geneva, Iran said it was drafting proposals for a deal that would avert military action.
“I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on these elements and prepare a good text and reach a quick agreement,” Araghchi said. CBS.
Axios had previously reported, citing an unnamed senior US official, that if Iran submitted its proposal within the next 48 hours, Washington was ready to meet again later this week “to start detailed negotiations”.
The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East in recent weeks, along with other jets and ships, and has also beefed up its air defenses in the region to back up its threats of military intervention.
US President Donald Trump’s chief negotiator in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said on Saturday in a Fox News interview that the president questioned why Iran had not yet yielded to American pressure.
“He’s curious why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘surrendered,’ but why haven’t they surrendered?” he said.
“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of sea power and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We confess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’?”
Western governments fear Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at developing a bomb, which Tehran has long denied, although it insists on its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.
On enrichment, Araghchi said on Sunday: “As a sovereign country, we have every right to decide for ourselves.”
Fear of war
An earlier round of diplomacy last year was interrupted by Israel’s bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.
It sparked a 12-day conflict in June, which the US briefly joined with attacks on nuclear facilities.
Despite the recent Oman-mediated talks, Iranian fears of a new conflict have grown.
“I don’t sleep well at night even while taking pills,” said Tehran resident Hamid AFPand said he was worried about his “family’s health… my children and grandchildren”.
IT technician Mina Ahmadvand, 46, believes that “at this stage war between Iran and the US as well as Israel is inevitable and I have prepared for that eventuality”.
“I don’t want war to happen, but you shouldn’t fool around with the realities on the ground.”
The concerns have prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran, including Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia, which warned that “commercial flights are currently available, but this could change rapidly”.
