Iran Must End Uranium Enrichment: Trump Envoy

US envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday called for Iran to fully halt its uranium enrichment program as a condition for any future nuclear agreement, signaling a firmer stance than his earlier remarks.

“Any final arrangement must set a framework for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East — meaning Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program,” Witkoff wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The statement marked a shift from his position just a day earlier, when he suggested a limited enrichment program might still be acceptable. In a Fox News interview Monday, Witkoff said the focus would be on “verification” and noted that Iran “does not need to enrich past 3.67 percent,” referencing limits set under the 2015 nuclear accord.

That multi-party agreement — which former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018 — was designed to block Iran from developing a nuclear weapon while permitting a civilian nuclear program under strict oversight.

However, the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated Iran possesses 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, edging closer to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump had recently spoken with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, thanking him for facilitating talks aimed at reviving negotiations with Tehran.

Trump has repeatedly warned that if no deal is reached, military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities remains on the table. He has labeled Iran’s leadership as “radicals” who should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful and focused on energy production, denying any intention to build atomic weapons.