Key players from the US and the Middle East conducted behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iranians even amid military strikes in Iran and Israel over the past two weeks, sources told CNN. These negotiations continued this week after a ceasefire agreement was reached.
Trump administration officials emphasized that several proposals were made. They are preliminary and evolving, but have one unchanging condition: Iran's complete abandonment of uranium enrichment.
Some details were discussed at a secret multi-hour meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and partners from Gulf countries at the White House last Friday, a day before US military strikes on Iran, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.
Among the discussed conditions, not previously reported, are investments of approximately $20-30 billion in a new Iranian nuclear program without uranium enrichment, which will be used for civilian energy purposes. Other incentives include the potential lifting of some sanctions on Iran and granting Tehran access to $6 billion blocked in foreign bank accounts.
Another idea proposed last week is for US allies in the Persian Gulf to pay for the restoration of the Fordow nuclear facility, which the US bombed with bunker busters last weekend, for a program not related to uranium enrichment.
The US stated that Iran may have a nuclear program for peaceful civilian purposes, but cannot enrich uranium for this program. Instead, the US proposed that Iran import enriched uranium. Witkoff compared the potential program to that of the United Arab Emirates.
There is hope within the Trump administration that after the events of the past two weeks, Iran is more likely to agree to US terms and cease actions that could bring it closer to developing nuclear weapons.
President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the US and Iran will sit down for talks next week, although an Iranian Foreign Ministry representative said he was unaware of talks next week, and people involved in the planning said details are still being worked out.
Before Israel's military operation against Iran about two weeks ago, the US and Iran held five rounds of negotiations to try to reach a framework agreement on a new nuclear deal. The US presented Tehran with a proposal, and it was expected that Iran would respond during a planned sixth round of talks in Oman. These talks were interrupted after Israel's strike on Iran.
Photo: Daniel Torok/The White House