US Envoy Steve Witkoff offers Iran nuclear deal without ‘full dismantling demand’

NEWS ARAB-April13th2025

US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff presented Iran with a draft agreement that stopped short of requiring Tehran to completely dismantle its nuclear programme during talks in Oman on Saturday, the Amwaj news site reported on Sunday.

A senior Iranian political source with knowledge of the proceedings, speaking on condition of anonymity to the London-based media outlet, said that Witkoff presented a draft that made no mention of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, nor did it contain an explicit threat of military action should the negotiations fail.

This came after reports in the US media claimed that Iran had asked for sanctions relief in exchange for significant restrictions on its nuclear programme, but with it being able to continue to operate plants for energy output.

Witkoff held brief talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Saturday, hosted by Muscat’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.

A White House statement mentioned that the two sides will meet again on 19 April, saying the initial talks had been “very positive and constructive”, with US President Donald Trump later saying that the talks had gone “very well”.

France24 has reported that the next round of talks next week could take place in Vienna, but that Oman would continue its role as mediator, regardless of the location of the negotiations.

Iran has rejected a Libya-style dismantling of its entire nuclear capacity, which is apparently what the US, along with its close ally Israel, was pushing for.  In an interview published Saturday in The Wall Street Journal, Witkoff said the United States would not tolerate Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, but suggested there was still room for compromise on the extent of Tehran’s nuclear energy capabilities.

Senior Iranian officials reportedly met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, according to Haaretz, and pressured him to agree to nuclear talks with the United States, despite his objections.

They warned that a war with the US, combined with Iran’s worsening economic crisis, could destabilise and potentially topple the Islamic Republic. The officials urged Khamenei to negotiate with Washington, even directly if necessary.

Read more on original:

https://www.newarab.com/news/us-offers-iran-nuclear-deal-without-full-dismantling-demand