US sets Geneva nuclear meeting pending Iran proposal

Shafaq News- Washington/ Tehran

US is prepared to hold a new round of nuclear talks with
Iran in Geneva on Friday if Tehran submits a detailed proposal within the next
48 hours, a senior US official told Axios on Sunday.

The official said the Trump administration is waiting for
Iran’s draft before confirming participation in the meeting, adding that the US
and Iran could discuss the possibility of an interim agreement before reaching
a comprehensive nuclear deal.

According to Axios, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White
House adviser Jared Kushner asked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to
submit a detailed written proposal within days during the previous round of
talks in Geneva. Washington’s position calls for zero uranium enrichment on
Iranian soil, though US officials indicated they may consider what they
described as “token enrichment” if Iran can demonstrate that the arrangement
blocks any pathway to developing a nuclear weapon. US officials also indicated that Trump could order a strike
at any time, although several advisers are currently encouraging the president
to allow diplomacy to proceed.

Meanwhile, Reuters cited a senior Iranian official saying Iran and the United States are preparing to hold a new round of indirect nuclear talks in early March, stressing that Tehran will retain full control over its oil and mineral resources despite the diplomatic push.

On February 20, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected reports that Washington had demanded a complete halt to uranium enrichment as a precondition for a nuclear agreement, while affirming that Tehran had not offered to suspend enrichment activities

US Senator Lindsey Graham urged Trump
to disregard advisers who oppose military action against Iran. Speaking to
Axios February 21, Graham argued that avoiding confrontation could carry
consequences.

Read more: Why US–Iran talks keep failing, and why tensions persist