Photo: EPA
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that during the first round of talks earlier this year, senior Iranian diplomats openly boasted that they had enough enriched uranium to build 11 nuclear bombs. In an interview with Fox News, Witkoff said the Iranian negotiators stated they controlled 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, fully aware that it could be used to produce nuclear weapons.
According to him, the Iranian side was proud that it had managed to bypass oversight protocols and reach a level at which nuclear bombs could be made. During the meeting, Iranian officials also insisted they had an “inalienable right” to enrich their nuclear fuel.
“We responded that the president (Donald Trump) believes we have the right to stop you,” Witkoff said, adding that Jared Kushner and he looked at each other in surprise, realizing the negotiations would be difficult.
Witkoff noted that Trump had sent him and Kushner to negotiate with Iran in order to push Tehran to stop uranium enrichment, scale back its naval forces to ensure freedom of navigation, end support for its allies, and dismantle its missile program.
“We went there trying to reach a fair deal, but by the end of the second meeting it became clear it would be very difficult. Still, we returned for a third meeting to make one last attempt. They expected positive news from us, but that meeting did not deliver it,” he said.
The February 28 attack on Iran was described as a joint U.S.–Israeli operation. Explosions were reported in Tehran, while targets linked to Hezbollah in Lebanon were also struck. Iran responded by launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel and attacking a U.S. base in Bahrain. Explosions were also reported in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, where American military bases are located.
Trump later confirmed that the United States and Israel had carried out the strikes, saying the large-scale operation aimed to protect Americans by eliminating what he described as an immediate threat from the Iranian regime.
