Britain says US envoys derailed Iran talks and pushed Washington toward conflict

According to British media reports, diplomatic sources said US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff acted “like agents of Israel” during nuclear negotiations with Iran and steered Washington toward conflict. UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell attended the latest US-Iran talks held in Geneva last month and assessed that the sides had come close to an agreement.

Sources speaking to The Guardian said Washington’s envoys aligned closely with Israel’s position during the negotiations and pulled the US toward a confrontation track. The report added that Powell found Iran’s proposal “surprising.”

UK team identifies signs of progress

Sources familiar with the talks said the British delegation was taken aback by the framework presented by Iran, stating:

“The UK team was surprised by the proposal the Iranians put on the table. It was not a comprehensive agreement, but there was clear progress, and it was not thought to reflect Iran’s previous position. The British team expected negotiations to continue on the basis of the progress seen in Geneva.”

The same sources described Powell’s assessment as follows: “Jonathan believed there was a basis for an agreement, but Iran had not yet reached that point, particularly regarding opening its nuclear facilities to United Nations inspections.”

The report said US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Witkoff and his son-in-law and informal adviser Kushner invited Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to the talks.

A former official speaking to The Guardian assessed the technical preparation of the US delegation: “Witkoff and Kushner did not bring a technical US team with them. They used Grossi as if he were a technical expert, but that is not his role. That is why Jonathan Powell brought his own technical team.”

The same assessment noted that although US envoys stated they were familiar with the core elements of the nuclear file, Witkoff’s remarks on Iran’s nuclear programme contained “basic errors.”

The next round of talks had been scheduled for March 2. However, it was reported that the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28.

The report included the following assessment: “The UK saw no convincing evidence that Iran posed a missile threat to Europe or that it was making progress toward acquiring nuclear weapons. It assessed that Powell had convinced the US that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and that a negotiated resolution to the long-running issue remained possible. For that reason, it viewed the attack as unlawful and premature.”

A diplomat with knowledge of the talks said: “We regarded Witkoff and Kushner as agents of Israel, pushing a president into a war he did not want.”

Intelligence assessments did not support Trump’s claims

Before the conflict, Donald Trump said Iran was not only attempting to develop a nuclear bomb but also aiming to build missile systems capable of striking the US. However, intelligence assessments did not support that conclusion.

According to Responsible Statecraft, Kushner and Witkoff provided “misleading advice,” contributing to the US shift toward confrontation.

Earlier this month, participants in the US-Iran talks told MSNBC that Witkoff’s claim that Iran possessed enough enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs was inaccurate.