Politics
BREAKING: Iran Folds To Trump’s Demands
A senior Iranian official has admitted that pressure by President Donald Trump is working, and leaders appear open to hearing his position on a key demand.
The focus of negotiations may be Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, which U.S. and international observers have claimed is cultivating uranium beyond levels required for civilian power generation. Tehran has denied that it is enriching the radioactive element for military purposes.
But a senior Iranian official tells Reuters that their government is unwilling to meet for direct talks while under heavy bombardment by Israel, which has continued into its second week. Scenes out of Iran show scores of families evacuating Tehran while rubble and obliterated buildings line the streets of the capital city.
European negotiators have filled the void between Iran and the U.S., engaging with diplomats speaking on behalf of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to bring an end to the conflict.
One of President Trump’s demands — that zero uranium enrichment occurs going forward — is nonnegotiable, “especially now, under Israel’s strikes,” the official insisted. However, relief from Israel, combined with concessions for civilian enrichment, may be enough to initiate direct talks between Iran and the U.S.
The Iranian official added that Khamenei needs to hear “initiative” from the E3, shorthand for the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The three European nations have sent emissaries to Geneva for high-level talks on Friday, and they previously helped negotiate the 2015 peace deal with Iran signed by former President Barack Obama.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the situation “perilous” after speaking with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East ambassador.
“A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” Lammy told NPR, referencing President Trump’s promise to make a decision on whether to bomb Iran within that timeframe.
Iran, meanwhile, is signaling resistance while under siege from Israel.
“We do not want to negotiate with anyone while the Zionist regime’s aggression continues,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television Friday.
“The demand for an end to this war has already begun,” Araghchi added. “It shows how effective the resistance of the Iranian people has been and will be.”
Both Iran and Israel remain engaged in military action, though Israeli officials told citizens on Friday that they can begin leaving protected areas and that the threat of missiles is over. Iran previously launched a counteroffensive, striking several targets, including one of the largest hospitals in Tel Aviv.
Reading a message from President Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled on Thursday that he would prefer to negotiate a long-term solution to the conflict.
“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Leavitt, speaking for Trump, said during her press briefing.
“If there’s a chance for diplomacy, he’s not afraid to grab it,” Leavitt further explained.