Iran prepares nuclear counterproposal as US considers limited military strikes

Original article by Oliver Holmes and agencies

Iran’s foreign minister has said he expects to have a draft counterproposal ready within days after nuclear talks with the US this week, while Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes.

The US president has ordered a massive buildup of naval forces in the Middle East, including repositioning aircraft carriers and other warships, leading to fears of an imminent war. But it is not clear if the military movements are intended as an intimidation tactic to put pressure on Iran to make concessions on its nuclear programme.

Two US officials told Reuters that US military planning had reached an advanced stage, with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing leadership change in Tehran.

On Thursday, Trump gave Tehran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to make a deal to resolve their longstanding nuclear dispute or face “really bad things”.

Asked on Friday if he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal, Trump told reporters at the White House: “I guess I can say I am considering” it. Asked later about Iran, Trump added: “They better negotiate a fair deal.”

Tehran began stepping up its nuclear programme​ after Trump – during his first term as president​ – exited an internationally backed deal that had restricted Iran’s programme. He disliked the pact, signed by one of his predecessors, Barack Obama, and was encouraged to abandon diplomacy by Iran’s arch-enemy, Israel.

Emboldened by Trump’s support for aggressive action, Israel then led a 12-day war against Iran in June 2025, which the US joined – although the campaign had a questionable impact on Tehran’s long-term nuclear ambitions.

Speaking to US cable news network MS Now, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said there was no “military solution” for Iran’s nuclear programme. “That has been tested last year. There were huge attacks on our facilities – they killed and assassinated our scientists – but they couldn’t kill our nuclear programme,” he said.

Araghchi held indirect discussions in Geneva this week with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and said that the sides had reached an understanding on main “guiding principles”, but that did not mean a deal was imminent.

Araghchi added he had a draft counterproposal that could be ready “in the next two or three days” for top Iranian officials to review, with more US-Iran talks possible in a week or so.

Trump began threatening strikes again in January as Tehran crushed widespread protests with deadly force.

Referring to the crackdown on Friday, Trump said that “32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time”, figures that could not be verified.

“It’s a very, very, very sad situation,” Trump said, adding that his threats to strike Iran had led the leadership to abandon plans for mass hangings two weeks ago.

“They were going to hang 837 people. And I gave them the word, if you hang one person, even one person, that you’re going to be hit right then and there,” he said.

The US-based group Hrana, which monitors the human rights situation in Iran, says it has verified 7,114 deaths and has another 11,700 under review.

Hours after Trump’s statements on the death toll, Araghchi said the Iranian government had already published a “comprehensive list of all 3,117” killed in the unrest, which he referred to as a “recent terrorist operation”.

“If anyone disputes accuracy of our data, please share any evidence,” he posted on X.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reiterated concerns about heightened rhetoric and increased military activities in the region.

During the Geneva talks, the US did not seek zero uranium enrichment and Iran did not offer to suspend enrichment, Araghchi told MS Now.

“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear programme, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,” he said.

Asked about Araghchi’s comments, a White House official said: “The president has been clear that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, and that they cannot enrich uranium.”

Reuters contributed to this report