Iran prepares counterproposal to US
Published: 06:02 PM,Feb 21,2026 | EDITED : 10:02 PM,Feb 21,2026
TEHRAN: Iran's foreign minister said he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days following nuclear talks with the United States this week, while US President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes. Two US officials said that US military planning on Iran had reached an advanced stage, with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing leadership change in Tehran, if ordered by Trump.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that his country would not bow its head to pressure from world powers amid nuclear talks with the United States. '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,' Pezeshkian said in a speech carried live by state TV.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said after indirect discussions in Geneva this week with Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner that the sides had reached an understanding on main 'guiding principles,' but that did not mean a deal was imminent. — Reuters