The Trump administration delivered a written proposal for a nuclear deal to Iran during the fourth round of negotiations held this past Sunday, sources with direct knowledge confirmed to Axios on Thursday. This marks the first instance since the talks commenced in early April that White House envoy Steve Witkoff formally presented a written offer to Iranian counterparts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi promptly conveyed the proposal to Tehran for urgent consultations with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and other senior officials, according to Axios. Speaking on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump characterized the offer as "an olive branch" extended to the Iranians, yet he underscored the immediate urgency of the situation, stating, "this is not an offer that will last forever. The time is right now for them to choose."
Behind the scenes, the current proposal follows earlier exchanges, the report stated. In the initial round of talks, Araghchi had presented Witkoff with a written document containing Iranian proposals, which Witkoff deferred, opting to prioritize building rapport. During the third round in late April, Araghchi again provided an updated document detailing Iranian ideas for a nuclear agreement, which Witkoff subsequently accepted. A US team of experts then meticulously reviewed the Iranian document, dispatching a list of questions and requests for clarification, to which the Iranians responded while also posing their own inquiries. Concurrently, Witkoff and his team meticulously crafted the US proposal, outlining the Trump administration’s parameters for an Iranian civilian nuclear program and establishing stringent requirements for monitoring and verification. (Read More)
