Iran has signaled willingness to return to the uranium enrichment limits set under President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal, while the Trump administration maintains it will accept nothing short of dismantling the entire program. Tehran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the offer public Tuesday, indicating Iran could agree to temporary restrictions on the level and volume of uranium enrichment.
The comments followed the fourth round of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, marking the most direct engagement between the two countries since President Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018. Trump has consistently criticized the original deal, highlighting its failure to curb Iran’s support for terrorism and its lack of restrictions on missile development and regional aggression.
“For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the level and volume of enrichment,” said Takht-Ravanchi, stopping short of agreeing to dismantle existing enrichment facilities. High-level uranium enrichment has no civilian application and is primarily used in nuclear weapons production.
President Trump has made clear that any new agreement must go further than Obama’s 2015 deal. In his 2018 announcement withdrawing from the JCPOA, Trump said the U.S. gave away billions to a regime that continued to fuel instability in the Middle East. He called the agreement a “great embarrassment,” citing its failure to leverage America’s negotiating position for a stronger deal.
Despite current talks, early outlines of the proposed deal have sparked concern that it may repeat the core weaknesses of the original JCPOA. According to reports, Iran would not be required to halt its funding of terrorist proxies or address its widespread human rights violations. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated to Breitbart News that dismantling the enrichment program remains a non-negotiable point for the administration.
President Trump, currently in Saudi Arabia for diplomatic talks, affirmed his red line, stating clearly, “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.” He has also made it known that military action remains on the table if Iran refuses to comply.
