U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent initiative to engage Iran’s top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a potential new nuclear deal is an effort to steer clear of military confrontation, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“We don't need to solve everything militarily,” Witkoff told Fox News on the “Sunday Morning Futures” program, emphasizing that the administration’s approach is rooted in dialogue and diplomacy. “Our signal to Iran is let's sit down and see if we can, through dialogue, through diplomacy, get to the right place. If we can, we are prepared to do that. And if we can't, the alternative is not a great alternative.”
Earlier this month, Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Khamenei warning that “there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.” However, Khamenei dismissed the U.S. overture as “a deception,” asserting that negotiations with the Trump administration would only “tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran.”
In contrast, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi indicated on Thursday that Tehran would soon respond to the letter’s “threats and opportunities,” while cautioning on Sunday that any talks with the U.S. would require a change in Washington’s current pressure policy.
Separately, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, speaking on CBS News' “Face the Nation,” stated that the United States is committed to the “full dismantlement” of Iran's nuclear program. “Iran has to give up its program in a way that the entire world can see. As President Trump has said, this is coming to a head. All options are on the table and it is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear weapon,” Waltz added. Tehran, however, has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
The nuclear impasse is further underscored by remarks from U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi, who warned last month that time is running out for a deal to curb Iran’s uranium enrichment, as the country advances its capabilities toward near-weapons-grade levels.
While Trump’s administration leaves the door open for a new nuclear pact with Tehran, it has also reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign reminiscent of his first term. Since his return to the White House on January 20, the U.S. has imposed four rounds of sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports, intensifying efforts to isolate Tehran economically.
As both sides weigh their options, the coming days will be critical in determining whether renewed dialogue can defuse escalating tensions or if military options might eventually come into play.
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