Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said the latest round of talks between Iran and the United States reached "a set of guiding principles," paving the way for an agreement.
According to AFP, Araghchi said in an interview with Iranian state television on Tuesday (February 17) that the two sides have reached a broad consensus on a series of guiding principles that will be incorporated into the final agreement.
He also said, "I can say with certainty that the discussions in this round of talks were more serious and earnest, and the atmosphere was more constructive compared to the previous round."
Although both sides have begun to move toward an agreement, Aragic pointed out, "This does not mean that we can reach an agreement quickly."
He added, "We hope this process can be completed as soon as possible, and we are prepared to invest sufficient time in it."
He acknowledged that narrowing the gap between the two sides "will take time," but "at least we now have a set of guiding principles and a clearer path forward."
Araghci said the date for the third round of talks "has not yet been set." "Both sides agreed to continue consultations on the draft agreement, after which they will exchange drafts and set a date for the third round of talks."
However, Araghchi said the United States should immediately stop threatening to use force against Iran.
Tehran and Washington just concluded their second round of talks on Tuesday, following Washington's deployment of a carrier strike group to the Middle East. US President Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention and warned before the talks that Tehran would face consequences if it failed to reach an agreement.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also conducted military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway in the Middle East, on Monday (16th), and said it would close part of the waterway during the exercises for "security" reasons.
According to the official website of Iran's Supreme Leader's office, Khamenei said during a meeting with people from East Azerbaijan province that it is necessary for the Iranian nation to possess deterrent weapons. "The United States interferes in Iran's weapons issue, saying that Iran should not possess certain types or ranges of missiles. This is Iran's own affair and has nothing to do with the United States."
Khamenei pointed out that the United States' "unreasonableness" is a sign of the country's decline and warned that Iran has the capability to sink US warships deployed in the Gulf region.
Source: [Lianhe Zaobao] (https://www.zaobao.com/news/world/story20260217-8548014)