The United States is actively engaged in negotiations with Iran in hopes of reaching a nuclear agreement. What kind of nuclear deal President Trump is seeking has drawn significant attention. On Sunday, May 18th, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, made it clear that any nuclear agreement must include Iran’s inability to enrich uranium, which is a red line for the United States.
In an interview with ABC News program “This Week,” Witkoff stated that when asked about President Trump’s outline for an Iran nuclear agreement, the President’s stance is very clear – he wants to resolve this conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.
“He has sent all the signals. He directly sent a letter to the highest Iranian leader,” Witkoff said. “I was also tasked with conveying this message, and I have done so.”
“On the other hand, we have a very, very clear red line, and that is (uranium) enrichment. We cannot allow Iran even 1% enrichment capability. We have presented a proposal to Iran that we believe addresses some issues while still showing respect to them. So, this is important,” he added.
He also mentioned that the U.S. is hopeful in finding a solution to this issue, stating, “We believe we can do it.” Emphasizing that an agreement excluding restrictions on uranium enrichment cannot be reached because uranium enrichment can lead to weaponization, which is unacceptable.
“But beyond that, we have various methods to achieve the goals of this negotiation. We believe we will have a meeting in Europe at some point this week. We hope this can bring about some real positive outcomes,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also addressed the issue of Iran’s uranium enrichment during an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” over the weekend. He mentioned that if one can engage in any level of uranium enrichment, then they are essentially able to quickly move towards weapon-grade uranium enrichment.
“The ultimate goal is simple: Iran can never possess nuclear weapons. Because President Trump does not like war, he tends to pursue this goal through peaceful negotiations,” Blinken said.
“He (Trump) is a president who seeks peace, so he has laid out this path, and we hope the Iranians will follow it,” Blinken continued. “He (Trump) has clearly stated: Iran can never have this capability, can never possess nuclear weapons. It will not happen.”
Iran has responded to the U.S.’s remarks on restricting uranium enrichment. Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Sunday saying, “Unrealistic expectations hinder negotiations; Iran’s uranium enrichment activities are unstoppable.”
“I think he is completely disconnected from the reality of negotiations,” Araqchi said regarding the U.S. Middle East envoy Witkoff, and added that uranium enrichment activities will continue.