CNN
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US Special Envoy Steve Witkov warned that if Sunday’s discussions with Iran were not productive, “they will not continue, so they will have to take a different route.”
In an interview with Breitbart posted Friday, Witkoff said the US had chosen to hold another round of consultations last week.
“Hopefully we’ll be productive this Sunday. Hopefully, that means they’ll continue those consultations,” he said.
The speech in Oman on Sunday was at a high level, suggesting that both parties will discuss a broader framework for moving forward. A familiar source told CNN that no technical team would be expected to attend to negotiate more detailed aspects of the transaction, such as sanctions relief.
“It was appropriate to give the next speech at the principal level,” the source said.
Another source said the discussion is expected to be direct and indirect.
In an interview with Breitbart, Witkoff explained the US expectations for meetings in some of the biggest details so far.
“The enrichment programme will never be in Iran’s state again. It’s our red line. It’s not enriched. It means demolition, there is no weaponization. It means Natanz, Fordau and Isfahan are three enrichment facilities.
Iran says it must be allowed to enrich uranium.
“Iran has all the rights to own a full nuclear fuel cycle,” Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci, who is scheduled to meet Witkov on Sunday, wrote to X a week ago.
Witkov suggested similar incentives to Tehran, similar to negotiations with Russia, where the US had an incentive to end the war in Ukraine.
“We are inviting Iran to be a member of the League of Nations,” he said. “We’re telling Iran: “You can become a better nation. We can do business with you. We can have a strategic relationship with you. But you can’t become a provocative.”
Witkov said Iran said it didn’t want the US nuclear weapons. Tehran is in a position he has maintained for a long time.
The envoy said the consultations focused solely on nuclear issues. This is a change from the first Trump administration’s attempt to broadly address Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region.
“Do you think they need to stop allowing them to pull back from being Hamas, Hezbollah, Hoosis and provocatives? We believe it. It’s a secondary argument,” he said. “Do you think they shouldn’t supply weapons to those who think they are our enemies? We believe that. But again, we don’t want to confuse nuclear debate because it’s an existential issue for us.
CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed to this story.