Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday (20) that he hoped to have a counterproposal ready in the next few days, following nuclear talks with the United States this week, while US President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes.
Two US officials told the Reuters that US military planning on Iran had reached an advanced stage, with options including attacking specific individuals and even seeking a change in leadership in Tehran if ordered by Trump.
On Thursday (19), Trump gave Tehran 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement to resolve their long-running nuclear dispute or face “really bad things”, amid a US military buildup in the Middle East that has fueled fears of a wider war.
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Asked on Friday whether he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal, Trump told reporters at the White House: “I think it’s safe to say I am considering it.”
Later, asked about Iran at a White House news conference, Trump added: “They better negotiate a fair deal.”
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said after indirect discussions in Geneva this week with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner that the parties had reached an understanding on key “guiding principles” but that did not mean a deal was imminent.
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Araqchi, in an interview with MS NOW, said he had a preliminary counterproposal that could be ready in the next two or three days for review by top Iranian officials, with further negotiations between the US and Iran possible in about a week.
Military action would complicate efforts to reach an agreement, he added.
In his comments, Trump said there was a difference between the people of Iran and the country’s leadership and referred to Tehran’s recent crackdown on protests. Trump said “32,000 people were killed in a relatively short period of time,” numbers that could not immediately be verified.
“It’s a very, very, very sad situation,” Trump said, adding that his threats to attack Iran led the leadership to abandon plans for mass hangings two weeks ago.
“They were going to hang 837 people. And I told them that if they hanged one person, even if it was just one, they would be attacked right then and there,” he said.
The US-based group HRANA, which monitors the human rights situation in Iran, has recorded 7,114 confirmed deaths and says it has another 11,700 under review.
