Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Tuesday that Tehran is ready to reach a nuclear agreement with Washington "as soon as possible" as the two sides prepare for a new round of negotiations in Geneva.
Iran will do "whatever is necessary" to make that happen, Takht-Ravanchi, a member of Iran's negotiating team, said in an interview with the US broadcaster NPR.
He said the Iranian delegation will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with "full sincerity and good faith," while hoping the goodwill will be reciprocated by the Americans.
"If there is political will on all sides, I believe an agreement can be reached very quickly," he said.
A veteran diplomat and former Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Takht-Ravanchi was also involved in the negotiations that led to the landmark nuclear deal in 2015.
Iran and the US have held two rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations under Omani mediation since last month, following efforts by regional countries, particularly Türkiye, to revive nuclear diplomacy that was suspended after the US-backed Israeli attack last June.
Following the last round of talks in Geneva, both sides expressed optimism and said they had agreed on "guiding principles" that could pave the way for a potential agreement.
The deputy foreign minister said they intend to continue indirect talks with the American side in Geneva "within the same framework" as in Muscat and Geneva.
On whether a draft proposal being prepared by Iran will include matters beyond the nuclear issue, Takht-Ravanchi said the subject of the negotiations will remain the nuclear issue, and that is "agreed upon by all parties."
He further stressed that a war would be impossible to contain once it starts, describing it as a "real gamble" from Tehran's perspective.
"Let us focus on diplomacy, because diplomacy will benefit everyone. There is no military solution to Iran's nuclear file," he said, warning that the entire region would suffer the consequences of war if it breaks out.
The senior diplomat also dismissed speculations that Iran would attack its neighbors, such as the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, in the event of war, saying Iran would instead target US assets in the region.
The ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington come amid a massive US military buildup in the Persian Gulf region and President Donald Trump's threat to take military action if the nuclear talks fail.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has held several military drills as part of preparations for any potential war.
