US sets no uranium enrichment ‘red line’ in Iran nuclear talks as Tehran pushes back

Any potential agreement between the United States and Iran must explicitly prohibit uranium enrichment, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday, reiterating President Donald Trump’s firm stance on the issue. His comments drew criticism from Tehran, suggesting that the two sides have a long way to go to reach any agreement over Iran’s nuclear program

“We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability,” Witkoff said during an appearance on ABC’s This Week.

He emphasised that the Trump administration’s baseline for any deal begins with a total ban on enrichment activities. “Because enrichment enables weaponisation. And we will not allow a bomb to get here,” he added.

Iran’s sharp response to the remarks underscored the challenges facing any renewed diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions.

The response from Tehran was swift.

”Unrealistic expectations stop negotiations, enrichment in Iran is not something that can be stopped”, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency cited Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, as saying on Sunday.

”I think he is completely at a distance from the reality of the negotiations,” Araqchi said of Witkoff, and added that enrichment will continue.

Witkoff said he is optimistic about negotiations and thinks the parties will hold talks again in Europe this week.

”We hope that it will lead to some real positivity,” Witkoff said.

Araqchi said the date and location of the next round of talks will be announced soon.

Trump said on Thursday that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, but on Friday said Iran needs to move quickly. Trump told reporters on Friday aboard Air Force One after departing the United Arab Emirates: ”They have a proposal. More importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad – something bad’s going to happen,” according to an audio recording of the remarks.

Araqchi said on social media that Tehran had not received a U.S. proposal.

During his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s uranium enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.