Witkoff: Iran "must stop and eliminate" nuclear enrichment

The United States has toughened its stance ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks with Iran, with Washington’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, declaring that Tehran must “stop and eliminate” its uranium enrichment programme to reach a final deal with the US.

The remarks, made in a statement on April 15, appeared to mark a shift from Witkoff’s earlier suggestion that Washington could accept low-level uranium enrichment for energy purposes, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“Any final arrangement must set 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 said.

The US envoy has been involved in recent negotiations with Iranian officials, including a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman over the weekend. Further discussions are expected to take place on April 19.

On April 14, Witkoff had told Fox News that Iran did not need to enrich uranium beyond 3.67 per cent — the level allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “In some circumstances, they’re at 60 per cent. In other circumstances, 20 per cent. That cannot be,” he said. “You do not need to run — as they claim — a civil nuclear programme where you’re enriching past 3.67 per cent.”

The shift in tone has sparked concern among foreign policy analysts and drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers and hardline commentators who have long opposed allowing Iran any enrichment capabilities.

The US State Department later echoed Witkoff’s statement, affirming that Washington now seeks to “eliminate” uranium enrichment in Iran altogether.

Witkoff’s growing portfolio under President Donald Trump includes high-stakes diplomacy beyond the Middle East, including US talks with Russia. He said he aims to deliver a “tough, fair deal that will endure”, as mandated by the US president.

President Trump, who returned to the White House for a second term this year, has renewed his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, intensifying sanctions and seeking to curb the country’s oil exports, especially to China.

Trump has also made clear that he prefers diplomacy but has not ruled out military action if talks fail. “If the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger,” he warned last week.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the president’s position on April 15, stating that Trump had “emphasized the need for Iran to end its nuclear programme through negotiations” during a phone call with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

“Of course, the maximum pressure campaign on Iran continues,” she added. “But as you know, the president has made it clear he wants to see dialogue and discussion with Iran, while making his directive about Iran never being able to obtain a nuclear weapon quite clear.”

The JCPOA, agreed under former President Barack Obama in 2015, restricted Iran’s enrichment levels in return for sanctions relief. Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal in 2018, arguing it was flawed and insufficient.

Since the withdrawal, Tehran has stepped up its nuclear activities in defiance of the agreement, prompting renewed international concern.

In Washington, nine Republican members of Congress have urged Trump to reject any future deal that allows Iran to enrich uranium. “We cannot afford another failed agreement that enables Iran to play for time,” they said in a letter last week. “Nor can we repeat the mistakes of the past by permitting Iran to enrich uranium or maintain the capability to ever reconstitute its nuclear program.”

Israel, which is widely believed to possess a covert nuclear arsenal, remains a staunch opponent of any arrangement that allows Iran to retain nuclear capabilities.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast doubt on the outcome of the negotiations while underscoring Tehran’s mistrust of the US. “The negotiations may or may not yield results,” he said on April 15, according to state media. “We are neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic about them. Of course, we are very sceptical of the other party, but confident in our own capabilities.”