ISTANBUL

Washington is ready to hold another round of negotiations with Tehran in Geneva only if Iran provides a detailed nuclear proposal within the next two days, Axios reported on Sunday, citing a senior US official.

The official indicated that a concrete Iranian submission could pave the way for "detailed negotiations" toward a nuclear agreement, with the possibility of an interim deal also on the table before any comprehensive agreement is reached.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS that the proposal is still being finalized, with both sides working on elements that will "accommodate both sides' concerns and trusts." He said the Iranian leadership has not yet signed off, but he is confident the sides will make progress when they meet.

He said a Geneva meeting is likely on Thursday, in opposition to what Axios reported as Friday, saying he believed the two sides could "work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast speed." He added that a diplomatic solution remained "quite possible."

On whether Trump's military threats were genuine or a pressure tactic, Araghchi said he cannot judge but insisted that "the only way" to resolve the nuclear issue is through diplomacy. "There is no need for any military buildup, and military buildup cannot help it, and cannot pressurize us," he said.

On the scope of negotiations, Araghchi pushed back against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's demand that any meaningful deal also address ballistic missiles and Iran's support for regional proxies. "Right now, we are negotiating only nuclear, and there is no other subject," he said.

Senior US officials warned that the ongoing diplomatic effort may represent the final window before Washington authorizes a large-scale joint military operation with Israel, one potentially targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei directly, according to Axios.

Military backdrop

The warnings come amid a US military buildup in the Middle East, where the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and more fighter jets have already arrived, with the USS Gerald R. Ford on its way.

Earlier this month, talks resumed in Muscat with Omani mediation, followed by a second round in Geneva last Tuesday. US Vice President JD Vance described the Geneva meeting as "productive only in some ways," highlighting Tehran's refusal to engage on certain of US President Donald Trump's "red lines," while Araghchi noted a "more constructive" tone.

Trump on Thursday set a 10- to 15-day window for negotiations to yield fruit before military options come into play, reiterating the threats on Friday that he was also considering a more limited strike to pressure Iran into reaching a serious agreement.