Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defiantly stated his country will not succumb to international pressure during ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States, even as Donald Trump openly considers limited military strikes against the nation. Speaking on state television on Saturday, Pezeshkian declared, “World powers are lining up to force us to bow our heads… but we will not bow our heads despite all the problems that they are creating for us.”
The declaration comes as Iran’s foreign minister indicated on Friday that a draft counterproposal could be ready within days following this week’s nuclear discussions with the US.
Meanwhile, Trump has openly considered limited military strikes, with US officials telling Reuters that military planning is advanced, potentially including targeting individuals or even seeking leadership change in Tehran, if ordered by Trump.
Trump had previously issued a 10 to 15-day ultimatum for a deal to resolve the longstanding nuclear dispute, warning of “really bad things” amidst a significant US military buildup in the Middle East, which has intensified fears of a broader conflict.
Questioned on Friday about a potential limited strike to compel a deal, Trump told White House reporters: “I guess I can say I am considering” it. He later added, “They better negotiate a fair deal.” These threats follow a brutal crackdown on mass protests in Iran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, after indirect talks in Geneva this week with Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, noted an understanding on main “guiding principles” but cautioned that this did not mean a deal was imminent.
Araqchi, in an interview on MS NOW, said a draft counterproposal could be ready for top Iranian officials within two or three days, with more US-Iran talks possible in about a week. He warned that military action would complicate efforts to reach a deal.
Trump’s renewed threats of strikes in January came after Tehran suppressed widespread protests with deadly force, following earlier US and Israeli bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities and some military sites in June.
Referring to the crackdown on Friday, Trump distinguished between the Iranian people and their leadership. He asserted that “32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time,” a figure that could not be immediately verified. Describing it as “a very, very, very sad situation,” Trump claimed his threats had prevented mass hangings two weeks prior. “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 stated.
However, the US-based human rights monitor HRANA has recorded 7,114 verified deaths from the unrest, with another 11,700 under review. Hours after Trump’s claims, Araqchi countered on X, stating the Iranian government had already published a “comprehensive list” of all 3,117 killed in the unrest, adding: “If anyone doubts the accuracy of our data, please speak with evidence.”
Despite the escalating tensions, Araqchi expressed optimism that a diplomatic deal was achievable “in a very short period of time,” though he did not specify when the counterproposal would be presented to Witkoff and Kushner. The United Nations, through spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, voiced concerns over the heightened rhetoric and increased military activities in the region. Dujarric urged: “We encourage both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue to engage in diplomacy in order to settle the differences.”
Araqchi clarified to MS NOW that during the Geneva talks, the United States did not seek zero uranium enrichment, nor did Iran offer to suspend it. He stated: “What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever.” He added that technical and political “confidence-building measures” would be enacted to ensure the program would remain peaceful in exchange for action on sanctions, but he gave no further details. The White House, responding to Araqchi’s remarks, reiterated: “The president has been clear that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, and that they cannot enrich uranium.”
