Iran could be as little as a week away from producing weapons-grade nuclear bombs, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff warned. He also revealed that Trump is curious why Tehran has not yielded under mounting American military pressure amid fresh nuclear talks.
“They’ve been enriching well beyond the number that you need for civil nuclear. It’s up to 60 per cent(fissile purity),” he said. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial, industrial-grade bomb-making material, and that’s really dangerous.” Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News.
He also said the US President believes Iran faces an overwhelming US strategic force in the region yet continues to resist concessions on its nuclear programme.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said.
“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet it’s sort of hard to get them to that place,” he added.
DISPUTE OVER NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT
The remarks come as the US increases naval and air power in the Middle East and prepares contingency plans for a potential air campaign against Iran. Iran has warned it would retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked.
Diplomatic efforts have continued in parallel. Indirect talks resumed in Oman and later in Geneva this month, but both sides admitted major gaps remain — particularly over sanctions relief and uranium enrichment limits.
Washington wants Iran to surrender highly enriched uranium stockpiles and accept tighter restrictions on enrichment, arguing the material could be used for nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its programme is peaceful and rejects demands to end enrichment entirely.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has signalled willingness to accept limited nuclear constraints in exchange for phased sanctions relief, but refuses to link nuclear curbs to its missile programme or regional alliances.
TEHRAN REJECTS PRESSURE STRATEGY
Iranian leaders say US threats and military deployments will not force concessions. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would not yield to coercion, calling for unity against external pressure.
Iran has also rejected Washington’s demand for “zero enrichment”, though officials have floated potential compromises such as reducing enrichment purity or exporting part of their uranium stockpile if sanctions are lifted.
Witkoff also confirmed he met exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi at Trump’s direction. Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, has urged stronger US action against Iran’s clerical leadership and said military intervention could help topple the government.
With inputs from agencies
