Witkoff Hopeful of Deal with Iran, Continues to Rule Out Enrichment

By Staff, Agencies

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has described ongoing negotiations with Iran as "promising," expressing optimism that a comprehensive agreement could soon be reached.

In remarks to Fox News, Witkoff said Washington is pursuing a "long-term peace agreement" with Tehran—one he claimed would help "resurrect" Iran and bring economic prosperity to the wider Gulf region.

When asked whether the proposed deal would permit Iran to continue enriching uranium, Witkoff replied, "No."

"They don't need it. What they need is a civil non-enrichment program, just like Abu Dhabi has," he elaborated.

For much of the interview, Witkoff emphasized what he described as the success of recent US strikes targeting Iran’s civilian nuclear infrastructure, including key sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

His remarks follow a wave of leaked intelligence reports that cast doubt on President Donald Trump’s assertions that Iran’s nuclear program had been "completely obliterated."

Meanwhile, CNN reported, citing three sources briefed on a US intel analysis, that the US military strikes did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by a few months.

The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, and is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by the US Central Command after the strikes, according to one of the sources.

Additionally, the leaked information showed that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed, and the centrifuges remain largely "intact".

While Witkoff’s reiteration of the US position against uranium enrichment signals a potential return to a tense negotiating path, Iran has remained unwavering in its commitment to defend years of peaceful nuclear progress and scientific achievement.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran [AEOI], said that all necessary measures have been taken to maintain operations and assess damage to impacted sites. He condemned the attacks on Iran's "peaceful nuclear facilities" and emphasized that preemptive planning had ensured no interruption in the country’s nuclear production or services.