Trump sets a 60-day timeline for Iran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement
Here's a fresh take on the article:
Donald Trump, the 'ole tweetin' President, penned a blunt letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing a new nuclear deal and slapped a two-month time limit on the negotiations. Sources spilled the tea to CNN that the missive landed in Khameini's lap via an intermediary – the president of the United Arab Emirates.
According to the inside scoop, Trump has been itching to strike a bargain with Iran to rein in their nuclear ambitions. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, slipped the letter into Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's hands during a recent meeting in Abu Dhabi. The UAE, being thoroughly swell folk, passed the letter along to the Iranians.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed that Trump wants to settle the beef regarding Iran's nuclear program diploma-style, and he wants a prompt resolution. If direct talks are out of reach, Hughes hinted that other avenues might open up.
If you were wondering when the cat got out of the bag about the letter's contents, credit goes to Axios for being the first to spill the beans. Also, during a recent tete-a-tete with the Russki Prez, Vladimir Putin, Trump floated the idea of a nuclear deal, according to reports.
Overseas negotiations ain't the only game in town. Just this month, Trump told Fox News that Iran could go one of two routes: the war route, or the deal route. He expressed hopes that Khameini would jump at the chance to receive the letter because, well, he doesn't wanna drop a bomb on 'em, you get me?
It's unclear how the U.S. would react if Iran decides to keep pretending that negotiations are a one-way ticket to nowhere. However, top officials have hinted that they might not rule out taking military action against Iran's nuclear facilities, whether that's us or the Israelis at the controls.
Flashback to Trump's first term: He dipped out of the Obama admin's nuclear deal with Iran and green-lit a US-led strike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, which ruffled quite a few feathers in Tehran. Now, in his second term, he's reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign, aiming to isolate Iran economically and diplomatically.
Khameini recently threw some shade, stating that calls for negotiations from "bully states" are about dominating others, not resolving issues.
Reference(s):1. CNN - Trump proposes 2-month deadline in letter to Iran's Supreme Leader2. Axios - Exclusive: Inside Trump's letter to Khamenei - and why it's unlikely to lead to a nuclear deal3. ABC News - Iranians to reject Trump's call for direct talks over nuclear deal, despite U.S. easing new sanctions
- The deadline for negotiations on a potential new nuclear deal between the United States and Iran, as proposed by President Donald Trump in a recent letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is two months.
- Axios reported that the strategic directive of Trump's letter to Khamenei is to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, with Iranians being the intended recipients of the message.
- If direct talks between the U.S. and Iran are not possible, Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, suggested that other avenues might be pursued, potentially involving Iranians.
