By John Richardson
In a dramatic and unexpected policy reversal, Donald J. Trump’s special envoy to Iran, Steve Witkoff, declared Tuesday that Tehran must fully dismantle its nuclear enrichment program, walking back remarks made less than 12 hours earlier on Fox News in which he indicated a willingness to permit limited uranium enrichment for civilian use.
The sudden shift in tone,
outlined in a late-night social media statement, signals a more hawkish
direction that could jeopardize ongoing U.S.-Iran talks and raise the specter
of renewed military confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“A deal with Iran will only be
completed if it is a Trump deal,” Witkoff said in the statement. “Any final
arrangement must set in place a framework for peace, stability, and prosperity
in the Middle East, meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear
enrichment and weaponization program.”
Witkoff, a real estate developer
with no prior diplomatic experience, added that President Trump had tasked him
with negotiating a “tough, fair deal that will endure,” insisting that the
complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program was now non-negotiable.
His announcement marked a sharp
departure from his comments on Monday, when he told Fox News that the U.S. was
prepared to accept Iran enriching uranium up to 3.67 percent, the level
permitted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the
nuclear accord brokered by former President Barack Obama and later abandoned by
Trump in 2018.
“In some circumstances they are
enriching at 60 percent and at others at 20 percent. That cannot be,” Witkoff
said during the interview. “You do not need to run, as they claim, a civil nuclear
program where you are enriching past 3.67 percent.”
The envoy’s dual positions, one
suggestive of compromise, the other of total rollback, have fueled speculation
of internal discord within Trump’s foreign policy team and raised doubts over
whether the former president is directing a coherent diplomatic strategy.
It is unclear whether Witkoff’s
revised stance reflects a direct intervention from Trump himself or pressure
from Iran hawks within the GOP, some of whom have criticized recent U.S.
engagement with Tehran as a dangerous retreat toward Obama-era policies.
Analysts say the reversal could
imperil delicate negotiations underway between Washington and Tehran, which
have been taking place through backchannels in Oman. A new round of indirect
talks is scheduled to begin Saturday, after U.S. proposals to shift the venue
to Italy were quietly shelved.
Tehran has long insisted on its
right to pursue a peaceful civilian nuclear program. Witkoff’s statement, requiring
Iran to halt all enrichment activities, including low-level ones
permitted under international agreements—is likely to inflame tensions and
embolden hardliners within the Islamic Republic, who argue that Washington
cannot be trusted.
A fragile consensus had
recently emerged in Tehran around a possible sanctions relief deal with the
United States. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,
had cautiously welcomed Witkoff’s participation in the talks, viewing them as
the most significant diplomatic opening since 2015.
Those hopes may now be dashed.
“This hardline rhetoric confirms
the worst fears in Tehran that U.S. policy toward Iran remains erratic and
hostile,” said Dina Esfandiary, a senior advisor at the International Crisis
Group. “The credibility of any future agreement has now been severely
undermined.”
Witkoff’s diplomatic
inexperience has drawn scrutiny since his appointment, particularly given his
simultaneous roles in overseeing efforts in Ukraine and Gaza. His approach has
largely been characterized as relaying Trump’s personal instincts rather than
coordinating a structured policy framework.
Observers note that Witkoff’s
latest position could reflect a broader pattern of inconsistency in Trump’s
foreign policy, where personal grievances and domestic politics frequently override
strategic planning.
“The confusion here isn't just
about nuclear policy, it’s about who is actually in charge,” said Mark
Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. diplomat and nonproliferation expert. “You have an
envoy sending conflicting signals, with potentially global consequences.”
Meanwhile, the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is expected to visit
Iran later this week in a bid to expand inspectors’ access to sensitive nuclear
sites. It remains uncertain how Witkoff’s statement will affect that visit,
though experts warn it could complicate Iran’s cooperation with international
watchdogs.
The White House has not issued
an official statement addressing the contradiction between Witkoff’s positions.
Inquiries to the Trump campaign and Witkoff’s office were not immediately
returned.
With just days before the next
round of indirect negotiations, the gap between Washington’s demands and
Tehran’s red lines appears wider than ever. For many watching the unraveling
diplomacy unfold, the moment feels like a return to the volatile brinkmanship
that defined much of the U.S.-Iran relationship during Trump’s first term.
Whether there is still room for
dialogue, or if the opportunity for diplomacy is slipping away, remains to be
seen.
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