48-hour ultimatum: US warns time is short for Iran nuclear talks as military option looms

Trump administration is ready to meet Iran in Geneva on Friday if Tehran submits a detailed nuclear proposal within 48 hours.

• US ready for Geneva nuclear talks if Iran submits proposal soon
• Talks seen as last chance before Trump considers military action
• US may accept "token enrichment" if nuclear pathways are blocked

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The United States is prepared to hold another round of nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday, but only if Tehran delivers a detailed written proposal within the next 48 hours, according to Axios. The diplomatic push is being described by U.S. officials as likely the final opportunity before President Donald Trump considers a major military operation.

A senior U.S. official told Axios on Sunday that Washington is waiting for Iran’s draft. If it arrives in time, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to travel to Geneva on February 27 to begin detailed negotiations.

According to Axios, during the last round of talks in Geneva last Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner asked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to submit a comprehensive written proposal within days.

“If Iran gives a draft proposal, the U.S. is ready to meet in Geneva on Friday in order to start detailed negotiations to see if we can get a nuclear deal,” a senior U.S. official told Axios.

The official also confirmed that the Trump administration is open to discussing a potential interim agreement before finalising a comprehensive nuclear deal.

The White House position remains firm: “zero enrichment” of uranium on Iranian soil. However, U.S. officials indicated Washington is willing to consider what they described as “token enrichment” if Iran can demonstrate that the arrangement blocks every pathway to a nuclear weapon.

Araghchi said on Friday in an interview on MS Now that he expects to complete the draft proposal over the weekend and deliver it to Witkoff and Kushner once Tehran’s political leadership approves it.

Whether the proposal meets U.S. expectations will determine whether the Geneva meeting proceeds.

Axios reported that U.S. officials view the current diplomatic effort as possibly the last chance before Trump orders a large-scale U.S.-Israeli military operation that could directly target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Trump’s advisers have said the president could shift course and authorise military action at any time. However, several senior figures, including Witkoff and Kushner, have urged him to exhaust diplomatic options first.

Not all Republicans are counselling patience. Senator Lindsey Graham told Axios on Saturday that several people around Trump are advising against bombing Iran, a position he criticised.

“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 said, according to Axios.

The divide underscores the high stakes surrounding the next 48 hours.