Iran has sent a response to the US that "implies some degree of agreement" with parts of President Donald Trump's demands, according to a Western diplomat familiar with the talks.
In a briefing at the White House Thursday evening, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt relayed Trump's statement: "Based on the significant chance of negotiations possibly taking place - or not - with Iran in the near future, I will decide whether or not to join [the talks] within the next two weeks."
The demands, first reported Wednesday by Israel Hayom, include: a prior commitment not to enrich uranium on Iranian soil; the destruction of all nuclear facilities not used for civilian purposes, including the Fordow site; dismantling all centrifuge infrastructure; and strict, on-site international supervision of remaining sites. The ultimatum reportedly has a short deadline, with a warning that if Tehran refuses, the US will continue to support Israel and ensure that facilities, particularly Fordow, are destroyed.
The diplomat said Iran's initial response was a complete rejection, but after Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his counterparts in the Gulf and Europe, a new reply was delivered, signaling willingness to discuss the demands "with considerable flexibility." Still, Iran refuses to accept the US conditions upfront and insists that any negotiations begin only after Israel halts its military strikes.
Two additional sources, one American and one Arab, confirmed the core of this account. They said Iran is expected to give a final answer Friday at a meeting between Araghchi and European foreign ministers. According to these sources, both the US and Iran might drop their preconditions and launch talks to define a framework, without requiring a ceasefire with Israel. Such talks would likely take place in Europe, not in the Gulf.
The same sources said Iran is now prepared to discuss more seriously a prewar American proposal under which uranium enrichment would take place through a regional consortium, including Gulf states and the US, at a facility to be built in the Gulf.
The Western diplomat noted that Trump's decision on whether to authorize a strike would partly depend on the outcome of Friday's talks. The president and his advisers have prepared action plans for multiple scenarios. In the past 24 hours, senior State Department officials, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, have increased pressure on Trump to avoid military action before exhausting diplomatic channels, warning that a strike could have long-term consequences for US allies in the Gulf.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, however, is taking a more hawkish stance, in contrast to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has been excluded from closed discussions after Trump lost confidence in her due to what turned out to be inaccurate intelligence assessments of Iran's nuclear program.
According to CNN, Ratcliffe told closed-door sessions that Iran is perceived as dangerously close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, despite the official line from the US intelligence community that Iran's leadership has not given a formal order to build one. A senior US official quoted by CNN said Ratcliffe compared the situation to a football team "one yard from the goal line," saying it was misleading to suggest they don't intend to score.
Trump, who has taken a hard line on Iran and demanded its total capitulation, is not expected to urge Israel to stop its military actions in the coming days. However, he is likely to act only if convinced that diplomacy cannot deliver the same results as joining the fighting.
Diplomatic background
According to Reuters, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the UK (the E3) plan to hold nuclear talks with Araghchi in Geneva on Friday, with US approval. These three countries, alongside the US, led the recent International Atomic Energy Agency resolution declaring that Iran violated its nuclear obligations.
Reuters also reported that Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks during the war to find a diplomatic solution. Araghchi reportedly told him Iran would not return to the table unless Israeli strikes that began on June 13 ceased, but expressed a willingness to show "flexibility on the nuclear issue" if the US pressured Israel to stop. Sources cited by Reuters said the discussions included a revived US proposal from late May to establish a regional uranium enrichment consortium outside Iran, an offer previously rejected by Tehran.
