President Donald Trump stirred the pot on Monday by seemingly contradicting his administration’s recent diplomatic proposal to Iran. The proposal, presented by the U.S. special envoy to Iran, aimed to ease economic sanctions in exchange for certain restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. However, Trump emphasized his stance that Iran must fully dismantle its nuclear enrichment program to strike a deal.
Throughout ongoing negotiations, both Trump and Steve Witkoff, who leads these talks for the United States, have cast doubt on whether Iran could be allowed any uranium enrichment capacity for civilian needs. The Trump administration has consistently emphasized its commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
These negotiations have been positioned by Trump as a crucial opportunity to avoid direct military conflict between the two nations over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Despite Iran’s claims of not pursuing nuclear weapons, it stands firm against any deal that demands a complete halt to its enrichment activities.
In a social media post, Trump declared, “Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” This statement, which appeared to conflict with earlier diplomatic proposals, was clarified by a White House official who affirmed that Trump was conveying an unwavering position. The official noted that the conditions presented to Iran were rigorous and would prevent them from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
The complexities of the situation became evident following reports that Witkoff’s recent offer to Iran would allow for minimal levels of enrichment for non-military purposes, such as nuclear medicine and energy production, if Iran agreed to temporarily shut down its secure underground facilities. This marked a significant step in direct nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, a dialogue that had been dormant for years.
Key figures, including Witkoff and Trump, have voiced repeatedly in recent weeks that Iran should not possess any uranium enrichment capability. A report by Axios, echoed by a U.S. official, suggested forming a regional consortium to manage enrichment for civilian purposes, revisiting an idea from past negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
Trump, an outspoken critic of the 2015 deal—which permitted controlled uranium enrichment while keeping Iran’s nuclear ambitions in check—had the U.S. withdraw from the agreement during his first presidential term.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had grown perilously close to weapons-grade levels, per a confidential assessment released by the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog. Despite Iran’s insistence that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful uses, there’s a growing sentiment among Iranian officials hinting at a potential pursuit of nuclear weaponry.
Before Trump’s post, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that the administration’s proposal to Iran was thoughtfully crafted and beneficial for Tehran’s acceptance. Details of the proposal, however, remained undisclosed due to respect for the negotiation process.
The proposal, which Trump seemed to challenge, involved concessions by the U.S. administration likely to unsettle Israel and pro-Israel legislators in America. Its elements closely mirrored those from the 2015 nuclear deal brokered during the Obama era.
Previous iterations of the nuclear deal floated an idea of regional oversight for Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts. This concept was ultimately shelved due to opposition from Gulf Arab nations and distrust from Iran concerning the consortium’s objectives.
People involved in the lengthy negotiations of the 2015 deal reacted swiftly to potential indications that the Trump administration might allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at any level. Dan Shapiro, Obama’s former ambassador to Israel, tweeted a pointed question about whether critics of past Iran nuclear negotiations will hold Trump to a consistent standard.