TEHRAN – In an interview with MS NOW, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described ongoing talks with the U.S. as productive and dismissed the threat of force as a viable option.

Araghchi said on Monday that a draft of a potential nuclear agreement with the United States would be ready within days, signaling that a diplomatic resolution to the long-standing standoff may be within reach.

In an interview with MSNBC, Araghchi described recent talks in Geneva as productive, saying both sides had agreed on a set of principles to guide negotiations. He said Iranian officials were now preparing a draft text to present to the U.S. negotiating team, led by Steve Witkoff.

“It won’t take much time,” Araghchi said. “Perhaps within a week, a little more, we can start serious negotiations on the text and reach a conclusion.”

The foreign minister stressed that any agreement must be a “win-win” solution, under which the United States receives guarantees about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, and Iran receives verifiable relief from the economic sanctions that have weighed heavily on its economy.

He dismissed suggestions that the United States was demanding a permanent halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, calling such reports inaccurate. Instead, he described the discussions as focused on technical measures, with input from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that could provide the necessary assurances to all sides.

“We are now talking about how to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever,” he said.

Throughout the interview, Araghchi returned to a central theme: that military action against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would fail, and that diplomacy is the only workable path forward. He pointed to past attacks on Iranian facilities and the assassination of Iranian scientists as evidence that coercion does not work.

“They could not destroy our nuclear program,” he said. “This program has been developed by our own hands and by our scientists. It cannot be destroyed by bombing or military action.”

He also cautioned against those pushing for conflict, warning that any new military confrontation would have disastrous consequences not only for Iran but for the entire region.

“We are ready for war, and we are ready for peace,” Araghchi said. “If they are looking for a solution to Iran’s nuclear program, the only solution is diplomatic negotiation.”

When asked about the long history of mistrust between Tehran and Washington, including the “Death to America” chants that have been a feature of Iranian political life since 1979, Araghchi drew a distinction between the American people and the policies of the U.S. government.

“First of all, we do not consider the American people our enemy,” he said. “We consider the policies of the American government against Iran to be hostile.”

He suggested that a successful and durable agreement could begin to change that dynamic, but only if it is honored in good faith by the United States. He noted that the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), had been a promising step that was later undermined by Washington’s withdrawal.

Araghchi also offered a simple but crucial piece of advice to American politicians.

“If you speak to the Iranian people with the language of respect, we will answer in the same language,” he said. “But if you speak to us with the language of force, we will answer in the same way. The Iranian people are a dignified people. We only respond to the language of respect.”