Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) that a nuclear deal was "within reach", ahead of talks with the United States scheduled for later this week. He added that a deal was "within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority." In his post, Mr. Araghchi said Iran will "under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon" but insisted on its right to "harness dividends of peaceful nuclear technology." Iran and the U.S. held five rounds of nuclear talks last year, but those negotiations were brought to an end with Israel's unprecedented attack on Iran which triggered a 12-day war. Iran has consistently denied any ambition to build a nuclear weapon but defends enriching uranium for civilian energy and research as a sovereign right.

Source: The Hindu February 24, 2026 19:08 UTC