Iran warns any US strike would be 'act of aggression', vows ferocious response

Iran warns US against limited strike

Iran warned on Monday that any US military action, including so-called limited strikes, would constitute an “act of aggression” that would trigger retaliation, after President Donald Trump said he was weighing a limited strike against Tehran.

"With respect to your first question concerning the limited strike, I think there is no limited strike," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a briefing in Tehran attended by an AFP journalist.

"An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that's what we would do."

Trump said on Friday that he was considering a limited strike if Iran failed to reach an agreement with Washington.

"I guess I can say I am considering that," he told reporters in response to a question.

The two sides wrapped up a second round of indirect negotiations in Switzerland on Tuesday under Omani mediation, amid a significant US military build-up in the region.

Additional talks, confirmed by Iran and Oman but not by Washington, are set for Thursday.

Iran’s negotiating team is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the United States is represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In an interview with Fox News aired on Sunday, Witkoff said Trump was questioning why Iran had not "capitulated" despite Washington’s military deployments.

Baqaei responded on Monday that Iranians had never capitulated at any point in their history.

The warning comes as diplomatic activity accelerates. According to Axios, the United States is ready to hold another round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday — provided Tehran delivers a detailed written proposal within 48 hours. US officials reportedly regard this as a possible final window before Trump contemplates a major military operation.

A senior US official told Axios that Washington is awaiting Iran’s draft. Should it arrive in time, Witkoff and Jared Kushner intend to travel to Geneva on February 27 to launch detailed negotiations. During last Tuesday’s discussions, they asked Abbas Araghchi to submit a comprehensive written proposal within days.

The Trump administration continues to insist on “zero enrichment” of uranium on Iranian soil, though officials have indicated they may consider limited or “token enrichment” if it effectively blocks all routes to a nuclear weapon. Araghchi said he expected to finalise the draft over the weekend, subject to approval by Iran’s political leadership.

Axios reported that US officials see the current diplomatic effort as potentially the last opportunity before Trump authorises a large-scale US-Israeli military operation. While advisers such as Witkoff and Kushner are advocating exhausting diplomatic options, some Republicans favour a harder stance. Senator Lindsey Graham told Axios that those urging restraint risk overlooking the consequences of inaction.

The coming 48 hours are likely to determine whether negotiations resume in Geneva or tensions intensify further.

(With inputs from agencies)