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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi has said that a deal with the United States to avert conflict is \u201cwithin reach\u201d, on the eve of talks between the two countries in Geneva, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Araghchi said that the \u201chistoric opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement\u201d would depend on whether \u201cdiplomacy is given priority\u201d, in a possible reference to US President Donald Trump\u2019s ongoing threats to use military force against Iran.<\/p>\n
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In a statement shared on social media on Tuesday,\u00a0Iran\u2019s top diplomat added that his country remained \u201ccrystal clear\u201d that it would \u201cunder no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon<\/a>\u201c, while also recognising the right of Iran\u2019s people to the benefits of \u201cpeaceful nuclear technology\u201d.<\/p>\n Indirect talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva will be the third round of discussions<\/a> between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman, which has said it hopes to see \u201ca positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal\u201d.<\/p>\n Araghchi has been leading the negotiations on behalf of Iran, while White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump\u2019s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been representing the US.<\/p>\n Following the most recent talks in Geneva, Trump said that Tehran had 10 to 15 days to make a \u201cmeaningful deal\u201d, while again referring to the possible threat of military intervention amid a huge US military build-up<\/a> near Iran.<\/p>\n The talks on Thursday will take place as the US Navy has docked its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, at a NATO base on the Greek island of Crete, on its way towards the Middle East, where the US has been increasing its military presence in recent weeks.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also been conducting military drills in the south of the country, saying that it has built \u201ca strong fortress\u201d in the area.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera\u2019s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that \u201cthe public mood in Iran is a mixture of different sentiments, and oscillation between fear of the war, in terms of the military build-up by the Americans in the region, and hope for diplomacy\u201d.<\/p>\n Asadi said the talks were taking place alongside \u201cpublic dissatisfaction\u201d, as seen with the \u201cmassive protests\u201d that took place across Iran in December, \u201cinitially driven by the economic hardship<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, we also hear sounds echoing of dissatisfaction in political and social spheres, over the past three days at least, in some major universities in the capital and across the country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n