Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was an understanding on "most elements of a potential agreement with the US", while urging President Donald Trump's administration to choose between dialogue and confrontation.
Mr Araghchi made the remarks to Iranian state media after a third round of nuclear talks concluded in Geneva, which he said were the "most intense so far". Meetings between the delegations, mediated by Oman, stretched into the evening in the Swiss city on Thursday. The outcome was described positively by all sides, with reports of Iran offering to pause nuclear enrichment.
Mr Araghchi said the talks were significantly more serious and lasted longer than previous rounds. Both sides addressed key elements in a potential deal, he added.
“There is agreement on most elements," he said. "Some technical aspects need to be discussed later."
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi said "significant progress" was made after the talks ended. He added that "discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna".
He is expected to travel to the US on Friday to meet Vice President JD Vance and other officials for talks aimed at staving off war with Iran, MS Now reported, amid concerns that Tehran's proposal may fail to satisfy what are described as "tough" American demands. There was no confirmation from Muscat.
Despite negotiations, a fear of conflict still looms large. Mr Vance said there was "no chance" a strike on Iran would lead to protracted war in the region. “The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight – there is no chance that will happen,” he told The Washington Post. “I think we all prefer the diplomatic option. But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”
Meanwhile, Mr Araghchi told Iranian media that “the US must choose either the path of dialogue or the path of confrontation and tension".
“What is clear is that Iran’s nuclear issue cannot be resolved through military actions. They tried it once and did not get results," he said. "There is no way other than for them to reach a solution through dialogue and negotiations."
The US has amassed significant firepower within striking range of Iran, with Mr Trump warning that his “armada” is ready to attack if Tehran does not make a deal.
A former Pentagon chief said the countdown for an American attack would begin when the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group, the world’s largest warship and the most advanced in the US Navy, arrives in the Middle East, where it is to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier. Israeli media reported it reached Israel’s northern coastline on Friday.
A member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, Avi Dichter, on Thursday confirmed media reports that the US stationed F-22 fighter jets in the country and is refuelling planes at Ben Gurion Airport.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads the US Central Command, briefed Mr Trump on Thursday about possible military options in Iran, ABC News reported.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has repeatedly put its military might on show to warn of retaliation against any US strike. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said US warships would be sent “to the bottom of the sea”.
