According to four Iranian officials acquainted with the concept, Iran has suggested that, as an alternative to Washington’s demand that it stop its nuclear program, it establish a cooperative nuclear enrichment business incorporating American investors and neighboring Arab nations.
According to the four Iranian officials, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, brought up the notion with Steve Witkoff, an American special envoy, during their direct and indirect discussions in Oman on Sunday. Since they were talking about delicate topics, they requested anonymity.
A number of Iranian media sites featured front-page stories on Iran’s “new plan on the negotiating table” on Tuesday. The Revolutionary Guards Corps-affiliated newspaper Farhikhtegan was one among those publications.
Requests for comment about the negotiations were not immediately answered by the National Security Council, the State Department, or Mr. Witkoff’s office.
The viability of a regional nuclear project including Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of its fiercest adversaries, was not immediately apparent.
Private American businesses could be hesitant to invest in Iran’s nuclear reactors, as the two countries have not maintained diplomatic ties for forty-five years.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Trump denounced Iran for its backing of violent proxy organizations in the Middle East, but he asserted that a diplomatic settlement with Iran would increase regional security.
Mr. Trump declared, “I want to make a deal with Iran.” “I’d be thrilled to strike a deal with Iran if we could make your region and the world a safer place.”
However, he cautioned that Iranian officials must act quickly to avoid more economic pressure from sanctions. “Now is their moment to make a decision,” he stated. “We don’t have much time to wait right now.”
According to the four Iranian officials and reports, Iran’s plan calls for the formation of a three-nation nuclear consortium in which it would enrich uranium to a low grade—below that required for nuclear weapons—and then export it to other Arab nations for civilian use.
