Iran’s foreign minister just announced that he expects to have a draft counterproposal ready within days, following nuclear talks this week. This news comes as President Trump openly stated he’s considering limited military strikes against Iran.
When asked about a limited strike to push Iran toward a deal on its nuclear program, Trump said, “I guess I can say I am considering” it. Per Reuters, officials indicate that military plans include options to target specific individuals in an attack and even pursue a change in leadership in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that a counterproposal will be ready for the next round of talks. Araqchi believes a diplomatic deal is definitely within reach and could be achieved “in a very short period of time.” He also pointed out that any military action would just make it harder to reach an agreement.
Iran seems to be scrambling to keep the peace
Trump had previously given Tehran a deadline, about 10 to 15 days, to make a deal or face “really bad things” as U.S. military buildup in the Middle East continues. During recent talks, Araqchi clarified that the U.S. didn’t ask for zero uranium enrichment, and Iran didn’t offer to suspend enrichment, which has been Iran’s line in the sand. The discussions were focused on ensuring Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, remains peaceful.
Araqchi mentioned that technical and political “confidence-building measures” would be put in place to guarantee the program’s peaceful nature, in exchange for action on sanctions. However, he didn’t share specific details about those measures. The White House has previously been clear, stating that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capability to build them.
Tehran Preparing Counterproposal in U.S. Talks
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) February 20, 2026
Iran’s FM Abbas Araqchi says Tehran will present a counterproposal to U.S. envoys within days, adding a deal is “within reach.”
QUESTION:
Are ballistic missiles and funding proxies not on the table anymore? pic.twitter.com/7vNOn3qqb1
Reports have indicated the U.S. military is preparing for a weeks-long operation against Iran if diplomacy doesn’t work out. This could involve striking Iranian security facilities, nuclear infrastructure, and even government officials. U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, didn’t offer details of targets or how leadership change might be attempted without a massive ground force.
Pursuing a regime change would be a shift from Trump’s campaign promises to move away from ‘the failed policies of past administrations,’ like the effort to topple the Afghan and Iraqi governments. We’ve seen Trump’s willingness to carry out targeted killings before. He approved the 2020 attack on Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani. However, a focus on targeting officials will require extra intelligence resources.
US strikes on Iran could target individual leaders, officials say
— Alex
The latest revelations reported on by Reuters suggest granular, ambitious planning ahead of a decision by Trump, who has in recent days publicly floated the idea of regime change in Iran.https://t.co/Jx4zshpuTV(@A_L_E_X_V_E_G_A) February 20, 2026
Trump has been pretty open about the possibility of changing the government in Iran, saying it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He hasn’t indicated a success plan, but he has already seen success with operations in Venezuela. Despite that, it seems Trump is holding out for diplomacy, considering Iran’s threat to retaliate in kind to any military action. The ongoing conflict has seen a rise in oil prices and Russian involvement.
For now, the White House press secretary admitted that the two sides are still pretty far apart on some key issues.
