Trump team proposes: Iran to negotiate on nuclear agreement and ceasefire this week
Media reports indicate that Trump views the large bunker-busting bombs owned by the U.S. as a key bargaining chip to force Iran into an agreement, as these are the necessary weapons to destroy Iran's Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility, which Israel does not possess
Trump plans to negotiate on the nuclear agreement and Iran, with the Middle East situation possibly reaching a critical juncture this week.
According to media reports on Monday, the White House is discussing arranging a meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi this week to negotiate the nuclear agreement and facilitate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Sources revealed that this meeting has not yet been finalized, and this "last-ditch effort" demonstrates Trump's urgency to shift from the brink of war to the negotiating table.
A senior U.S. official stated that Trump views the large bunker buster bombs in the U.S. arsenal as a key bargaining chip to force Iran into an agreement, as these are the weapons necessary to destroy Iran's Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility, which Israel does not possess.
Additionally, previous reports indicated that Trump is deciding whether to send U.S. B2 bombers to destroy Iran's most secure nuclear facility, Fordow.
To date, Trump has refused to directly engage in Israel's attacks on Iran, but he has made it clear that Iran must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons in some way.
"Two-Month Deadline" Approaches, Netanyahu Faces Pressure from Washington
Reports indicate that sources say the Trump administration discussed the proposal for a meeting with Iran on Monday, with only a few days remaining until the two-month negotiation deadline set by Trump for Iran.
An Israeli official and a U.S. official revealed that Trump, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, expressed his belief that there is still an opportunity to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, thus currently opposing military action.
More notably, Trump warned Netanyahu during a call last week not to take any actions that could jeopardize the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. White House officials and insiders stated that Trump and other senior U.S. officials have become increasingly concerned in recent weeks that Israel might bomb Iranian nuclear facilities or take other steps that could undermine the negotiations.
Trump has publicly called for Iran and Israel to "reach an agreement" to end the state of war between the two countries, while clearly stating that the U.S. will stay away from Israel's military actions and believes that any retaliatory strikes by Iran against U.S. targets would be "illegal."
This position reflects Trump's attempt to remain neutral in the conflict while seeking space for negotiations.
Whether current diplomatic efforts can resolve this crisis, which could reshape the global energy market and geopolitical landscape at the last moment, may depend on the negotiations at the table this week
