Iran "Hopes for Swift Agreement With U.S. at Geneva Talks on the 26th"

On the 22nd (local time), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that a draft agreement was being prepared ahead of talks with the United States in Geneva, Switzerland, and predicted that an agreement could be reached through it.

In an interview with U.S. broadcaster CBS that day, Minister Araqchi said, "We are working to draw up a draft agreement composed of elements that can accommodate the concerns and interests of both sides," adding, "When we meet again in Geneva on Thursday the 26th, we hope to negotiate based on these elements and reach an agreement quickly."

When asked whether he expected U.S. President Donald Trump to launch a military attack on Iran, Minister Araqchi replied, "I cannot judge," but added, "If the aim is to find a solution regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program, the only path is diplomacy." He went on to stress, "A military buildup (by the United States) is not needed at all, it is of no help, and it cannot become a means of pressuring us."

Regarding the U.S. demand for a complete halt to uranium enrichment activities, Minister Araqchi said, "Enrichment is our right. We are a member state of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," adding, "We possess every right to enjoy peaceful nuclear energy."

In response to a question asking whether it was worthwhile to insist on the right to enrichment amid a crisis in which the nation and the regime were allegedly at risk of collapse due to U.S. military operation threats, he explained, "This technology is extremely precious because we have paid a heavy price. We have been under sanctions for at least 20 years, we have lost scientists, and we have even gone through war." He then emphasized, "This is a matter of the dignity and pride of the Iranian people, and we will not give it up."