Negotiating a nuclear agreement with Iran should in theory be the easiest of Witkoff’s jobs. Longtime Middle East observers say the Tehran theocracy is at its weakest-ever point following more than two years of proxy war with Israel and widespread internal opposition.
The State Department has insisted the US position is that Tehran completely dismantle its nuclear and uranium enrichment programs. But so far, Iran has stubbornly resisted — refusing US demands to end uranium enrichment and close its nuclear facilities.
Earlier this month, fresh off indirect talks held in Oman, Witkoff floated allowing Iran to keep its facilities if it promises to keep uranium enrichment levels lower than what’s needed for weapons in a plan that mirrors former President Obama’s nuclear deal that Trump canceled during his first term in office.
“You do not need to run, as they claim, a ‘civil nuclear program’ where you’re enriching past 3.67%,” Witkoff told Fox News host Sean Hannity April 14, “so this is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program.”
Witkoff walked back his comments a day later, saying that “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.”
“I think one of the worst cases if he does reach a deal is that something emerges like a rollback of the program that isn’t permanent,” FDD research fellow Andrea Stricker said on a recent press call. “On a technical level, Iran may say that it’s permanent, but in effect, it would retain all its enrichment infrastructure to wait out the Trump administration and bust out of the restrictions.”
“They really need to be put in a position of seeing the nuclear program as is a threat to their survival, rather than something that protects their survival,” Stricker said.
Former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton was more blunt, posting on X Sunday that “Witkoff’s discussions with Iran are a waste of oxygen.”
“The Iranians are trying to buy time and relief from economic sanctions so they can rebuild their military. We cannot just ‘tap along’ with the Iranians,” he said, referencing the president’s recent concern that Moscow is “tapping” him along with prolonged talks.
“Trump is making the same mistakes Obama did in 2015,” Bolton added.
Tehran has every reason to drag out the nuclear talks if Witkoff and Trump allow, according to FDD senior fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu, as they believe that “so long as Washington is talking, Jerusalem is not shooting — and through that prism everything else flows.”
“The foremost element of Tehran’s diplomatic strategy today is not to earn sanctions relief …” he added. “The foremost strategy is to use direct engagement with the United States as a literal human shield against an Israeli preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear and/or military installations.”
Meanwhile, people familiar with the situation say Israel is waiting in the wings to conduct a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, quietly suggesting it could do so without US military support.
“It is a badge of honor to be the target of a John Bolton tantrum,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told The Post in a statement following publication. “He and his fellow warmongers quoted in this so called ‘news piece’ thrive off forever war – lining their pockets while young people die.
“Steve Witkoff has done incredible work securing the release of Americans detained abroad, like Marc Fogel, while leaving behind a massive business enterprise to serve his country. Like President Trump, he is focused on stopping the killing and advancing peace through strength.”
No comments:
Post a Comment