Steve Witkoff is set to arrive in Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, as Washington and Tehran prepare to launch talks in the coming days.
The president’s ambassador to NATO said the US does not want to turn Iran into “another Libya,” but is capable of taking military action. Iran’s leader Khamenei warned in a message to the White House: “Any attack on us will this time lead to a regional war.”
Iran and the US are holding quiet contacts mediated by Oman, Qatar and apparently also Turkey, aimed at reaching a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue and other matters on the agenda. Sources say Iran is showing flexibility, pointing to intense pressure on the regime
The US is expected to present Iran with preconditions as a requirement for entering talks, including an end to the use of live fire to suppress protests, immediate readiness to hand over enriched uranium, and the termination of its long-range missile project.
The Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Washington’s approval to negotiate with Iran on a new nuclear agreement. According to the report, bin Salman convinced President Donald Trump that such an initiative is necessary for regional stability.
The mission follows the unsuccessful attempt by Massimo Aparo, chief inspector under IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, to persuade Iran to restore monitoring following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June, according to three diplomats cited by Bloomberg.
The foreign minister of the Islamic Republic told the Financial Times that his country would not agree to return to "business as usual" with Washington untll the US guarantees not to carry out similar attacks, in addition to compensating Iran for the damages.
The Trump administration is discussing a proposal to assist Iran with a sum of up to $30 billion for building a civilian nuclear energy program, sanctions relief, and release of billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all as part of a mounting effort to return Tehran to the negotiating table.
"I don't know," Trump tells interviewer regarding whether Tehran would agree to terminate its nuclear operations, staying mum on consequences of failure to compromise and accusing Tehran of "delaying."
Tehran is expected to submit a counterproposal by tomorrow, in what could mark a decisive moment in ongoing negotiations. Iran currently possesses enough enriched uranium to produce 10 nuclear bombs and is generating sufficient material for an additional bomb each month.
