Iran urges US to drop 'excessive demands' to reach dealIran has asked the US to lower its demands during a last-ditch bid to avert fresh war. (Photo: AFP)PARIS (FRANCE) - Iran said Friday that in order to reach a deal, the United States will have to drop its "excessive demands", tempering the optimism expressed after talks seen as a last-ditch bid to avert war. Trump on Feb 19 gave Iran 15 days to reach a deal, and while Iran has insisted the discussions focus solely on its nuclear programme, the US wants Tehran's missile programme and its support for militant groups curtailed. "We have finished the day after significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometres -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States.

Source: Bangkok Post February 27, 2026 09:36 UTC