NEW YORK — Iran’s foreign minister says he believes the Islamic Republic and the United States were only “a few minutes away from a war” after Iran shot down an American spy drone last month. But the diplomat says he remains hopeful that escalating tensions might somehow be resolved.

In a wide-ranging discussion with U.S.-based media on the sidelines of a visit to the United Nations, Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that Iran could reverse recent moves to surpass uranium enrichment limits set by its nuclear deal with world powers.

He says: “We are moving forward but that could be reversed as soon as the other side is prepared to implement its commitment.”

Tensions are running high between Iran and the United States since President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

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