US aims to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment, focusing on nuclear weapons

Instead of completely dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, the US aims to limit uranium enrichment activities necessary for nuclear weapons.

The second round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US will take place on Saturday, April 19, again in Muscat, the capital of Oman.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ismail Bekayi said in a statement to the official news agency IRNA, “As a result of the consultations, it was decided that Muscat will continue to host the second round of talks to be held on Saturday, April 19.”

On the other hand, Trump’s Middle East Special Representative Steve Witkoff said that the basis of a possible agreement would be based on the supervision of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities and nuclear weapons production capacity.

Witkoff, who heads the US delegation in the negotiations, said to Fox News that Iran’s justification for enriching uranium for civilian purposes is limited, saying, “Iran does not need to enrich above 3.67%. In some cases, they reach 20% and in some cases 60%. This is unacceptable.”

These statements reveal that Washington’s priority is not to completely eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program, but to impose restrictions to prevent the production of nuclear weapons. This approach differs, especially from Israel’s calls for the dismantling of the entire nuclear program.

Witkoff noted that not only uranium enrichment, but also the types of missiles Iran possesses and nuclear weapon triggers will be on the agenda in the next round of negotiations. Witkoff said, “The devil is in the details. Therefore, the verification process will form the basis of the agreement.”

Witkoff did not speak openly about who would oversee the implementation of a possible agreement, and avoided giving information on whether US inspectors or the United Nations would take part.

Witkoff’s statements show that the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement, which was signed during the Obama administration and terminated by Trump in 2018, forms the basis for the current discussions. The agreement prohibited Iran from enriching uranium above 3.67%.