Muscat (TDI): Iran must completely halt its uranium enrichment as part of any nuclear agreement, US envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday, after suggesting it could continue doing so at a low level.
“Any final arrangement must set a framework for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East – meaning that Tehran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program,” Witkoff said in a post on X.
A day earlier, he had stopped short of demanding a complete dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear program. In an interview with Fox News, Witkoff emphasized that the focus would be much about verification on the enrichment program.
“They have no need to enrich beyond 3.67%,” Witkoff said, referencing the maximum level permitted under the previous nuclear deal that Trump exited during his first term, in 2018.
Read More: Oman Hosts Crucial US-Iran Nuclear Talks
The multi-party 2015 agreement that Trump abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Tehran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear program.
The latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said Iran had approximately 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, nearing the weapons grade of 90%.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt meanwhile told reporters Tuesday that President Donald Trump had spoken with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, thanking him for hosting negotiations on a deal with Iran.
Read More: Trump Vows Military Action Against Iran if Talks Fail
Trump has threatened to attack Tehran’s nuclear facilities if talks failed, declaring Iranian authorities “radicals” who should never have nuclear weapons.
Iran denies seeking an atomic bomb, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, particularly energy production.
