Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that in order to reach a deal, the United States will have to drop its “excessive demands,” after the two sides held talks in Geneva. In a phone call with Egypt’s top diplomat Badr Abdelatty, Araghchi said “success in this path requires seriousness and realism from the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands.” Araghchi did not clarify what demands he was referring to, but Washington has pointed to Iran’s ballistic missile program and has repeatedly described Tehran’s uranium enrichment capability as a red line. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Tehran had “already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.” Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is “not enriching right now, but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” adding that Tehran “refuses” to discuss its ballistic missile program and “that’s a big problem.” Iran has repeatedly said its missile program is part of its defensive capabilities and has ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
Iran urges US to drop ‘excessive demands’ to reach deal
Published on: February 28, 2026 2:07 AM