The Trump administration is demanding that Iran agree to an indefinite deal on its nuclear program, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff said just before another round of talks begins in Geneva.
Witkoff made the remarks during a private gathering Tuesday, Axios reported Wednesday, citing a U.S. official and two other sources familiar with his comments. The meeting came two days before the latest round of talks between Washington and Tehran.
The negotiations could determine whether a path to an agreement remains or whether the likelihood of a U.S. military strike rises significantly.
President Donald Trump has been pressuring the Islamist regime to reach an agreement on its nuclear program while amassing a significant U.S. military presence in the region.
He has threatened strikes if Tehran does not comply but said during his State of the Union address Tuesday night that he prefers a diplomatic solution.
Trump and critics of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, negotiated by the Obama administration and Iran, cited the deal's sunset provisions as one of its main flaws.
Limitations on Iran's nuclear program gradually expired between eight and 25 years after signing, according to Axios. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal during his first term.
"We start with the Iranians with the premise that there is no sunset provision," Witkoff told a gathering of AIPAC donors in Washington, D.C., according to Axios.
Witkoff said the U.S.-Iran negotiations are focused on nuclear issues. If a deal is reached, the Trump administration would seek follow-up talks on Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for proxy terrorist groups.
At that point, the U.S. would like other countries in the region to participate in the talks, he said.
Witkoff said the current nuclear talks involve Iran's ability to enrich uranium and the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile. The U.S. destroyed key Iranian nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer in June, according to Trump.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News on Sunday that Iran could sign a "better" deal that will make sure its nuclear program "remains peaceful forever."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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