After a two-week pause, the fourth round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran will take place today (Sunday) in Oman, under Omani mediation. The U.S. delegation will be led by Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy. An Iranian official told CNN that Tehran views recent American negotiations as disingenuous and is preparing for the possibility of a total collapse of the talks.
They Must Not Have Centrifuges
Ahead of the discussions, Witkoff gave an interview over the weekend to Breitbart News. He stated that, from the U.S. administration’s perspective, the red line is clear: Iran must not maintain a uranium enrichment program.
“Iran claims it doesn’t want nuclear weapons—so all enrichment facilities must be dismantled. There must be no centrifuges,” Witkoff asserted. He referred specifically to the facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, saying they must be completely decommissioned. The U.S., he said, would only allow a civilian nuclear program under strict limitations, like those at the Bushehr reactor, which does not include enrichment capability.
The Previous Deal Was Too Soft
In the interview, Witkoff criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), calling it “too soft” and flawed. “The previous agreement signed under the Obama administration was too lenient and included problematic clauses,” he said. A new deal, he added, would be much stricter and would not ease sanctions unless Iran offers unequivocal commitments.
When asked if the talks also address Iran’s missile program or its support for terrorist organizations, Witkoff clarified that the focus is strictly on the nuclear issue: “We don’t want to dilute the nuclear conversation with additional matters. This is the existential issue that must be resolved urgently.”
If Talks Fail: “We’ll Choose Another Path”
Witkoff made it clear: If no clear understandings are reached, the U.S. will consider further steps: “If the talks are not productive, we will have to choose a different path.”
Iran: “We Will Never Give Up Our Nuclear Rights”
Iranian officials, meanwhile, are holding firm. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Iran will never agree to dismantle its enrichment facilities: “If the goal of these talks is to strip us of our nuclear rights, I declare clearly: Iran will never give up a single one of its rights.”
Tehran insists that its goal is peaceful nuclear energy, not weapons. However, U.S. officials warn that without Iran abandoning its enrichment program, the chance of a deal remains slim.
