Trump team proposes Iran talks this week on nuclear deal, ceasefire
File : This combination of pictures shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff after a meeting with Russian officials at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025 (L); and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to AFP during an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah on March 7, 2025. (Photo by EVELYN HOCKSTEIN and Amer HILABI / various sources / AFP)
The White House is discussing with
Iran
the possibility of a meeting this week between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to four sources briefed on the issue.
The meeting hasn't been finalized yet, but it is part of a last-ditch effort by President
Trump
to swerve away from war and back toward dealmaking.
Trump sees the massive bunker busters needed to destroy Iran's
underground enrichment facility at Fordow
— which the U.S. has and Israel does not — as a key point of leverage to get Iran to cut a deal, a senior U.S. official said.
Trump has so far declined to directly participate in Israel's attacks on Iran, but he has made clear that Iran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon one way or another.
Trump shocked the Middle East with a Truth Social post on Monday night in which he called on
Iranian civilians to evacuate Tehran
immediately.
Behind the scenes: The Trump administration discussed the meeting proposal with Iran on Monday, the sources said.
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