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US president Donald Trump says he told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that attacking Iran would be "inappropriate" at this point as a deal is very close.
"That could change at any moment," Trump told reporters on Wednesday, stressing that he did not trust Tehran.
"We're having some very good talks with Iran. We'll find out whether that means anything, but we're having good talks," he said.
The sixth round of talks between the foes is yet to be scheduled, but the President sounded confident that an agreement may be reached within weeks.
He warned, however, that the capability to disrupt Iran's nuclear program is there and can be deployed in no time.
Iran may agree to pause enrichment for a year if the United States releases frozen funds and recognizes Tehran's right to enrich uranium, Reuters says citing Iranian officials.
The sources hinted at a "political understanding" between Tehran and Washington that could see the former halt refining uranium for a year, ship part of its highly enriched stock abroad or convert it into fuel plates for civilian nuclear purposes.
Reuters quoted one source as saying that this "has not been discussed yet" during the talks with the US negotiating team.
Israel on Thursday rejected a report in the New York Times that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening to disrupt talks on a nuclear deal between the United States and Iran by striking Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities.
Netanyahu's office issued a statement in response to the article which said simply: "Fake news."
The New York Times has responded by saying it stood by the report, according to Reuters.
"The New York Times reporting on this matter is thorough and based on discussions with people directly familiar with the matter. We remain confident in what we published," Reuters reported citing a written statement from the paper
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied any systematic corruption in Iran in a speech on Wednesday amid days of union protests and after a harsh critique of Tehran by US President Donald Trump this month.
“Some have tried to prove that corruption in the Islamic Republic is systemic. That is a lie,” Khamenei said. “Corruption is like a seven-headed dragon that won’t vanish easily, but the system itself is healthy.”
Addressing provincial governors in Tehran, he called on people in power to avoid conflicts of interest and personal business ventures, saying corrupt officials face double divine punishment.
His remarks follow a withering speech by US President Donald Trump in Riyadh this month in which he accused Iran’s leadership of theft and mismanagement.
"Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said.
The latest Corruption Perceptions Index from watchdog Transparency International ranks Iran 151 out of 180 countries in terms of public sector corruption.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to Trump last week in a speech to parliament, accusing the US of hypocrisy and exploitation.
“The master thieves of the planet who rob every country now accuse others,” he said. “They came here to plunder.”
The Supreme Leader's remarks come as nearly daily protests linger across Iran.
Union members from the trucking, baking and other sectors are coordinating in ongoing nationwide strikes while pensioners have held scattered demonstrations over unpaid benefits in recent days.
Almost a third of Iranians struggle to afford basic necessities and millions live below the poverty line amid sharply rising inflation and stagnant wages.
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi says any deal between Iran and the US should include "very robust" inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"My impression is that if you have that type of agreement, a solid, very robust inspection by the IAEA ... should be a prerequisite, and I'm sure it will be, because it would imply a very, very serious commitment on the part of Iran, which must be verified," Grossi told reporters on Wednesday.
When asked about the differences between Tehran and Washington, especially on the matter of Iran's domestic enrichment program, he said: ""I think there's always a way ... It's not impossible to reconcile the two points of view."
