President Donald Trump is questioning Iran’s unwillingness to surrender its nuclear ambitions despite Washington’s expanding military presence in the Middle East, according to his special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Speaking on Fox News Saturday, Witkoff explained Trump’s mindset regarding the ongoing standoff. “I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff stated.
The envoy questioned Iran’s resistance to diplomatic overtures given the mounting pressure. “Why, under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet it’s sort of hard to get them to that place,” he said.
The president has directed a massive deployment of military assets to the Middle East while preparing for possible extended airstrikes against Iran. Iranian officials have warned they will target American bases if attacked.
Washington is demanding Tehran abandon its stockpile of enriched uranium, which American officials claim could be weaponized, while also ending support for regional militant groups and accepting restrictions on its missile capabilities.
Iran maintains its nuclear activities serve peaceful purposes but has indicated willingness to accept certain limitations in exchange for sanctions relief. However, Tehran refuses to link nuclear discussions to other issues like missiles or proxy groups.
Witkoff highlighted the urgency of Iran’s nuclear advancement, noting the country’s uranium enrichment levels. “They’ve been enriching well beyond the number that you need for civil nuclear. It’s up to 60% (fissile purity),” he explained. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial, industrial-grade bomb-making material, and that’s really dangerous.”
A senior Iranian official confirmed to Reuters Sunday that significant disagreements remain between Tehran and Washington regarding sanctions relief during ongoing negotiations.
The envoy also disclosed meeting with Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi at Trump’s request. Pahlavi, whose father was overthrown during Iran’s 1979 revolution, currently lives in exile but provided no additional meeting details.
The opposition figure became a symbol for protesters during last month’s anti-government demonstrations across Iran, which reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths in the worst domestic violence since the revolutionary period.
Earlier this month, Pahlavi endorsed potential American military action against Iran as a way to preserve lives and urged Washington against prolonged negotiations with Iran’s religious leadership over nuclear agreements.
