The Media Line: Khamenei Approves Draft Nuclear Counterproposal as US Weighs Military Action   

Khamenei Approves Draft Nuclear Counterproposal as US Weighs Military Action   

By The Media Line Staff  

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has approved a draft counterproposal prepared by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in ongoing nuclear talks with the United States, though the document has not yet been delivered to Washington, a source familiar with the matter told Channel 12.  

According to the report, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner requested the counterproposal after the latest round of negotiations in Geneva last week, expecting it within days and ahead of another round scheduled for Thursday. US officials have warned that the upcoming talks may represent the final opportunity for a diplomatic solution, with a military strike on Iran presented as the alternative, Channel 12 reported.  

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran is prepared to take extensive steps to secure an accord as talks resume in Geneva. “We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith,” Takht-Ravanchi said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.  

He added that Iran would retaliate if attacked. “If there is an attack or aggression against Iran, we will respond according to our defense plans … A US attack on Iran is a real gamble,” he said.  

In a separate statement, Araghchi said Iran would continue negotiations based on understandings reached in the previous round, writing that talks would resume “with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.”   

He reiterated that Iran “will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” while rejecting demands to relinquish what he called its rights to “peaceful nuclear technology.”  

Meanwhile, the United States has continued a significant military buildup in the region. The Times of Israel reported that American F-22 stealth fighter jets that departed the United Kingdom earlier in the day were deployed to an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel.   

Twelve F-22s took off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England, though one reportedly returned due to a technical issue. The aircraft had arrived at the base last week and remained there for several days, reportedly because of problems with their refueling support.  

The deployment comes as President Donald Trump weighs whether to authorize military action against Iran. In recent days, dozens of US fighter jets — including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s — have been observed heading toward the Middle East, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance.