Iran and the United States have reached a general agreement on a set of “guiding principles” during talks in Geneva, which will serve as the basis for drafting the text of a potential deal, Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said.

Speaking to Iranian national television, Araghchi - who headed the Iranian negotiating team - described the discussions as constructive and confirmed that both sides had managed to reach agreements in principle on certain issues, The Caspian Post reports, citing Mehr news agency.

“We were able to reach some agreements on some issues in principle,” he stated, adding that the process had begun and could ultimately lead to a formal agreement.

Earlier, Iran’s state news agency IRNA, citing sources close to the Iranian delegation, reported from Geneva that the negotiations were very serious and that preliminary understandings had been achieved on several key points. According to the report, talks on further details are expected to continue after both delegations consult with their respective capitals.

Bloomberg later reported that the two sides agreed to convene a third round of negotiations.

Araghchi emphasized that the discussions were focused exclusively on nuclear-related matters. He noted, however, that the drafting phase would present greater challenges. “When it comes to drafting and writing an agreement, the work becomes more difficult,” he said.

The foreign minister acknowledged that both sides maintain positions that will require time to narrow differences. “Both sides have stances that will take some time to get closer to each other,” he added.

He also confirmed that a date for the next round of talks has not yet been set. The parties agreed to continue working on possible agreement texts as consultations and exchanges of views move forward.