TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Sunday that his country would respond to any US attack but held out hope for a diplomatic solution, saying he expected another round of talks in Geneva later in the week. Speaking in an interview on the US network CBS, the minister said there was a &quot;good chance&quot; that talks with US negotiators would head off renewed military strikes. He insisted, however, that Iran had a right to continued uranium enrichment for civilian purposes&mdash;and to strike US interests in the Middle East in response to any aggression. &quot;If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves. If the US attacks us, that is the act of aggression. What we do in response is an act of self-defence,&quot; Araghchi said. &quot;It is justified, legitimate. So our missiles cannot hit the American soil. So obviously we have to do something else. We have to hit, you know, the American base in the region.&quot; Last year, in response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities, Iran fired missiles at the US airbase at Al-Udeid in Qatar. Iranian officials sometimes also refer to Israel as a US base. Araghchi, nevertheless, also said, &quot;I believe that still there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on a win-win game.&quot; After a recent round of talks in Geneva, Iran said it was preparing a draft proposal for an agreement, which would be ready in a matter of days. Araghchi said negotiations were continuing, and &quot;we are working on the elements of a deal and draft of the text&quot;. &quot;I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal,&quot; he told CBS. But, as for Iran&#39;s uranium enrichment, which the US opposes, Araghchi said, &quot;As a sovereign country, we have every right to decide for ourselves, by ourselves.&quot;&nbsp;

Middle East

Abbas Araghchi warned Iran would strike US regional bases in self-defence if Washington launches any renewed military attack against the country

Iranian FM says Tehran has right to self-defense if US attacks

GENEVA:&nbsp;Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Geneva ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States, Iranian state television said Monday, as Washington keeps up pressure on the Islamic republic. According to Tehran, &quot;indirect&quot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-ready-for-nuclear-compromise-if-us-lifts-sanctions" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&ndash;US nuclear talks mediated by Oman will be held on Tuesday. Tehran and Washington restarted negotiations this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-heads-to-geneva-for-second-round-of-nuclear-talks-with-us" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;last June. &quot;The foreign minister has arrived in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-government-change-best-thing-that-could-happen" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Geneva</a>&nbsp;at the head of a diplomatic and expert delegation to take part in the second round of nuclear negotiation,&quot; Iran&#39;s state-run IRIB wrote on its Telegram channel. &lsquo;Deep technical discussion&rsquo;The top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, later wrote on X that he would meet in Geneva with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, &quot;for deep technical discussion&quot;.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023273878340989182&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c529a19e8829c3da039522b882158fce05ff872f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>He is also set to hold talks with his Swiss and Omani counterparts as well as other international officials, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said. &quot;I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,&quot; Araghchi added on X. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Anti-govt protests</h2>Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House confirmed on Sunday. The latest talks follow repeated threats from Trump of military action against Tehran, first over Iran&#39;s crackdown on anti-government protests, and then more recently over the country&#39;s nuclear program. The West fears the program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies. On Friday, Trump said a change of government in Iran would be the &quot;best thing that could happen&quot;, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure. Iran&#39;s deputy foreign minister told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifts sanctions that have crippled the Islamic republic&#39;s economy. &quot;If we see the sincerity on their (American) part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&quot; said Majid Takht-Ravanchi. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that any deal must involve the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran as well as Tehran&#39;s ability to enrich more. &quot;There should be no enrichment capability... dismantle the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,&quot; he said during a speech in Jerusalem. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Viable&#39; deal&nbsp;</h2>On Feb. 6, Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in indirect talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Muscat. Switzerland has played a key role in Tehran-Washington diplomacy, representing US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations after the 1980 hostage crisis, a year after the Iranian revolution. Iranian deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said Tehran was seeking a deal with the United States that would generate economic benefits for both countries, particularly in sectors such as aviation, mining and oil and gas, the Fars news agency reported. &quot;For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential,&quot; he was quoted as saying.

Tehran and Washington restarted negotiations this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June.

Articles tagged with "Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi"

Iranian FM says Tehran has right to self-defense if US attacks

Iranian FM Araghchi in Geneva for second round of US talks