WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday appeared to undercut a proposal that was offered by his special envoy to Iran, saying he will insist that Tehran fully dismantle its nuclear enrichment programme as part of any deal to ease crushing sanctions.
Trump and Steve Witkoff, who is leading the negotiations for the US, have repeatedly offered inconsistent public messages about whether Iran would be allowed to retain the capacity to enrich uranium to lower levels for civilian purposes. The Trump administration maintains that it will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
The negotiations have been framed by Trump as both countries’ best chance to avoid direct military conflict over Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has insisted that it will not agree to any deal that fully scraps its enrichment program.