The Trump administration allows for "symbolic" uranium enrichment by Iran, but is also considering forceful scenarios.
A senior US official told Axios that Donald Trump is ready to agree to a deal that is meaningful and politically acceptable within the country. According to him, if Iran wants to avoid an attack, it must offer an option that meets American demands.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran's proposal will be finalised within two or three days. At the same time, American and Israeli officials suggest that Trump may launch an attack as early as this weekend.
Some of the president's advisers are calling for patience, believing that the US's increased military presence strengthens its negotiating position. One adviser said that the decision to strike has not yet been made and that the president could change his position at any moment.
According to Axios sources, the Pentagon has presented Trump with several scenarios, including one that involves the elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba, and other members of the spiritual leadership. Another source confirmed that a plan to remove Khamenei and his son was discussed several weeks ago.
The public positions of the US and Iran on uranium enrichment remain opposed. Trump has repeatedly stated that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium. At the same time, Khamenei has emphasised that Iran will not give up its right to enrichment, which Tehran claims is peaceful in nature.
Iran is not currently enriching uranium, as a significant portion of its centrifuges were destroyed during air strikes in June. The US and Israel have stated that new strikes are possible if enrichment resumes.
Araghchi said in an interview with Morning Joe that during the talks in Geneva, the American side did not demand that Iran completely abandon enrichment. He also denied that Iran had offered to temporarily suspend the programme.
According to him, Tehran is ready to offer political commitments and technical measures that will guarantee the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. He stressed that the agreement must be mutually beneficial.
The American official said that special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had conveyed Trump's position on "zero enrichment" on Iranian territory to the Iranian side. At the same time, if a proposal for "small symbolic enrichment" with detailed guarantees is made, the US is ready to consider it.
Mediators from Oman and Qatar indicated to the parties that any agreement must allow each of them to declare that their goals have been achieved and be acceptable to the Persian Gulf countries and Israel.
Trump said that Iran "had better make a fair deal" and added that the Iranian people were different from their leaders. He also mentioned the figure of 32,000 protesters killed, citing estimates by Iranian opposition groups.
The Iranian draft proposal is expected to be submitted to the US after approval by the political leadership in Tehran. According to the American official, the document should be detailed and prove that Iran's nuclear programme is safe.
Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, is participating in the negotiations and proposing technical control measures. These include the return of UN inspectors with an expanded mandate and the removal or dilution of 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium stored at Iranian facilities.
