Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives to deliver a speech at a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sidelines of a second round of US-Iran talks in Geneva on 17 Feb. 2026. (Credit: Valentin Flauraud/AFP)
Iran's foreign minister said Sunday that he is "working on elements" of the agreement with the United States regarding its nuclear program, estimating that there are "good chances" of resolving its differences with Washington through diplomatic means.
"We are working on the elements of a deal and draft of the text," Abbas Araghchi said during an interview on the American network CBS, reported by AFP.
"I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva, we will be able to work on these points, prepare a good text and quickly reach an agreement," he added. An American official also confirmed that nuclear talks with Iran are planned for Thursday, as reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid on his X account.
"For now, we are only negotiating the nuclear issue, and no other topic is being discussed," the diplomat added, as the U.S. also wishes to discuss Iran’s ballistic missiles as well as its support for armed groups in the region hostile to Israel.
"I believe that still there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution which is based on a win-win game," he said, adding that Iran, "as a sovereign country, has the full right to decide" on uranium enrichment.
'Strike the American base in the region'
The Iranian minister also reaffirmed his country's right to respond to any U.S. attack, at a time when the U.S. has undertaken a massive military deployment in the region.
"If the United States attacks us, we absolutely have the right to defend ourselves," Araghchi said in the interview. In the face of an "act of aggression," any response "is justified and legitimate."
"Our missiles cannot reach U.S. soil. So, obviously, we have to find another solution ... and strike the American base in the region," he added, without giving further details.
Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. took place last week and are expected to continue next week, mainly revolving around Iran’s nuclear activities. However, Washington has deployed an impressive arsenal in the Middle East and is threatening Iran with an attack on its territory should negotiations fail.
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