Tehran (ANTARA) \u2013 Several senior Iranian officials on Tuesday (24\nFebruary) affirmed Iran\u2019s willingness to reach a nuclear agreement with\nthe United States, whilst Washington continues to escalate its military\nposture in the Middle East by deploying advanced fighter jets.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is determined\nto achieve an agreement that is \u201cfair and equitable\u201d with the US as soon\nas possible.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Araghchi said both\nparties have a \u201chistoric opportunity\u201d to forge an unprecedented\nagreement addressing shared concerns and achieving mutual interests,\nadding that an agreement can be reached if diplomacy is prioritised.<\/p>\n
The comments came ahead of the third round of indirect nuclear\nnegotiations between Tehran and Washington, scheduled for Thursday (26\nFebruary) in Geneva. Two rounds of indirect negotiations have already\nbeen held this month, focused on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme and the\npossibility of lifting US sanctions.<\/p>\n
On the same day, Iran\u2019s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs\nMajid Takht Ravanchi also said Iran is ready to do \u201cwhatever is\nnecessary\u201d to reach a nuclear agreement with the US.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to do whatever is necessary for this agreement to be\nrealised. We will come to the negotiating room in Geneva with sincerity\nand good faith,\u201d Ravanchi told NPR radio in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope that our good faith and positive approach will be\nreciprocated by the American side, and if there is political will from\nall parties, I am confident an agreement can be reached as soon as\npossible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, during a meeting in Tehran with Armenia\u2019s Defence Minister\nSuren Papikyan on the same Tuesday, Iran\u2019s Defence Minister Aziz\nNasirzadeh reaffirmed the country\u2019s strong determination to defend\nitself.<\/p>\n
He said Iran does not want war, \u201cbut if war is imposed on this\ncountry, Iran will defend itself strongly and deliver an unforgettable\nlesson to its enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement came after exercises conducted by Iran\u2019s Islamic\nRevolution Guards Corps (IRGC) along the southern Iranian coast,\naccording to Iran\u2019s semi-official news agency Fars, on Tuesday (24\nFebruary).<\/p>\n
Iranian forces practised \u201cstrong defence\u201d scenarios against the\ncountry\u2019s coastline and islands, with special operations units of the\nIRGC Army conducting operations to prevent enemies from approaching\nIran\u2019s southern coast.<\/p>\n
The exercises took place amid continuing escalation of US military\ncapabilities in the Middle East, with several media reports indicating\nthat US President Donald Trump is considering launching pre-emptive\nstrikes against Iran.<\/p>\n
Also on Tuesday (24 February), Israeli media reported that eleven US\nF-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets had landed at an air base in southern\nIsrael, as part of Washington\u2019s regional military build-up against\nIran.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, en route to\nthe Middle East, has arrived in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel will\njoin the strike group of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and other\nguided-missile destroyers already positioned near Iran.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Monday (23 February), Trump denied media reports stating\nthat US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine had warned against\nattacking Iran.<\/p>\n
In a social media post, Trump said if there were a decision to\nconduct military operations against Iran, \u201cin his (Caine\u2019s) view, it\nwould be something easily won.\u201d<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/iran-ready-to-reach-nuclear-agreement-as-us-deploys-multiple-fighter-jets-1772017938", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }