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Special envoy to Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, said during a private meeting that any agreement with Iran must impose indefinite limits on Tehran’s nuclear program.
According to Axios, citing sources, Witkoff told donors from AIPAC on February 24 in Washington that the U.S. is approaching negotiations on the assumption that there should be no expiration clauses. “Whether we reach a deal or not, our premise is: you must behave properly for the rest of your life,” he said.
He added that current U.S.–Iran talks are focused on nuclear issues, but even if an agreement is reached, the administration wants follow-up negotiations on Iran’s missile program and its support for proxy militias. Washington would also like additional regional countries to join the talks at a later stage.
Key sticking points remain Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity and the fate of its existing enriched uranium stockpile. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said in an interview that Tehran could sign a deal guaranteeing its nuclear program would remain peaceful “forever.”
U.S. officials say President Trump might accept symbolic enrichment on Iranian soil — but only if Tehran proves it cannot develop nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, officials in Washington and across the region remain skeptical about achieving the ambitious targets set by the White House.
A new meeting between Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Araghchi is expected in Geneva on February 26 and could be decisive in determining whether negotiations continue or shift toward military options.
