The US president says the Israeli strike is “inappropriate right now because it’s so close to a solution.”
President Donald Trump has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from strikes against Iran, in order to give him more time to push for a new nuclear deal with Tehran as several talks are taking place in Oman and Italy.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he told Netanyahu the strike.
Israeli leaders are threatening artillery fire at Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran says that if such an attack is launched, it will respond with severity.
In the meantime, Iran could suspend uranium enrichment if the US recognizes its right to improve uranium for civilian use under a “political deal” that could free up frozen Iranian funds and lead to a broader nuclear deal, two official Iranian sources told Reuters.
A source close to the negotiation team said Wednesday that if Washington accepts Tehran’s terms, he would “quickly reach a political understanding with the United States.” Sources told Reuters that under the arrangement, Tehran will halt uranium enrichment for a year.
The latest development comes when the head of the UN’s Atomic Watchdog Group said “ju-guards have not yet been released” on negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s rapidly moving forward nuclear program. However, Rafael Mariano Grossi described the ongoing negotiations as a good sign.
“I think that’s a sign of willingness to reach an agreement. And I think… that’s possible.”
The 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), set restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
After President Trump unilaterally withdrawn the US from the agreement in 2018, it collapsed, leading to a sudden escalation of tensions and a collapse of diplomatic relations.
Important sticking points
US officials have repeatedly said that new deals should include a firm commitment from Iran, and uranium enrichment will be stopped.
However, Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, claiming that its programme is intended for civilian purposes only. It rejects Washington’s demand to eliminate enrichment capabilities, calling it a violation of national sovereignty.
It remains a key anchorage after negotiators from Tehran and Washington met for a fifth round of talks in Rome through Oman.
Instead, Iran is reportedly reporting that the US publicly recognizes Tehran’s right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and publicly grants its approval to release Iran’s oil revenues frozen under US sanctions.