Iran’s state broadcaster denies taking televised confessions

Iran and the United States remain divided over the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief in their indirect talks, but there is a possibility of reaching an interim agreement in early March, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.

The official said Tehran could “seriously consider” a mix of steps aimed at addressing concerns over its nuclear program, including exporting part of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), diluting its purity level, and participating in a regional consortium arrangement.

However, the official stressed that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “must be recognized” in any deal.

“Iran and US views differ over the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief,” the official said, without elaborating on the specific gaps.

The official said indirect talks between Tehran and Washington are expected to resume in early March and that “the possibility of reaching an interim deal exists” if differences can be narrowed.

On economic issues, the official said Iran would not hand over control of its oil and mineral resources to the United States.

At the same time, the official added that US companies could participate as contractors in Iran’s oil and gas fields, indicating potential scope for limited commercial engagement under a future agreement.

US Senator Lindsey Graham is urging President Donald Trump to move forward with military action against Iran, warning against advisers counseling restraint as the White House weighs its options, Axios reported.

Graham told Axios that “several people” around the president are advising him not to bomb Iran, but said such voices underestimate the risks of inaction.

“I understand concerns about major military operations in the Middle East given past entanglements. However, the voices who counsel against getting entangled seem to ignore the consequences of letting evil go unchecked,” Graham was quoted as saying.

The report comes as two US aircraft carriers and hundreds of warplanes are positioned in the region and Trump has been presented with military options that include targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son, according to Axios.

Senior advisers told the outlet the president has not yet made a final decision.

Graham, who recently visited Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said he believes there is an opportunity “to bring about historic change” in Iran, but acknowledged that opposition to military action within Trump’s circle appears to be growing.

"But it's increasingly clear to me that voices opposing entanglement and the risk associated with decisive action are getting louder. Time will tell as to how this plays out."

Axios reported that some of Trump’s advisers are urging him to delay strikes and instead use the military buildup as leverage to extract concessions from Tehran.

Iran has signaled it is willing to delay uranium enrichment under strict UN nuclear watchdog supervision but insists its facilities remain on Iranian soil, Israel Hayom reported, as Washington weighs military strikes if talks fail to progress.

Citing Western sources familiar with the negotiations, the newspaper said Tehran conveyed the message to the United States via Oman after Washington expressed dissatisfaction with proposals presented in Geneva.

Under the reported offer, Iran’s enrichment facilities and centrifuges would remain in place but would not be activated during an interim period and would operate under International Atomic Energy Agency oversight.

The proposal is under review in Washington but falls short of US demands, Israel Hayom said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he held a phone call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Saturday to discuss the latest developments linked to indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States.

Araghchi said the two exchanged views on ways to advance the talks.

He said they emphasized the importance of constructive engagement and using dialogue to help move the negotiations forward.

US officials told ABC News that hundreds of personnel were being relocated from a major military base in Qatar ahead of a possible strike on Iran.

The report said the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was already in position in the region in total, around 35,000 US troops are now deployed across the Middle East.