Prevent Iran from Delaying Its Path to Nuclear Capability

Enthusiasts eager for a nuclear deal with Iran are buzzing over Tehran’s negotiator consenting to a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump’s envoy on Saturday and agreeing to reconvene the following week.

However, it appears the Iranians intend to prolong the negotiations until they’ve already achieved nuclear capabilities; Trump must make sure that Steve Witkoff isn’t drawn into the false narrative of progress.

Tehran has already enriched sufficient uranium to weapons-grade for constructing multiple nuclear arms; it only needs to buy time.

Despite this, the regime is facing greater vulnerability than it has in decades, with its Hamas and Hezbollah proxies significantly weakened after engaging in conflict with Israel, as US strikes are currently neutralizing its Houthi influence — not to mention losing its Syrian puppet following the ousting of the Assad regime.

In the meantime, renewed sanctions might ignite outright rebellion as “supreme leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approaches the end of his life with an uncertain succession plan in place.

Additionally, the direct exchanges of strikes with Israel have severely compromised Tehran’s air defenses.

Trump wisely prefers that Tehran definitively abandon its nuclear ambitions rather than resort to military action to eliminate the nuclear threat, but the regime must quickly provide detailed and solid commitments to a full team of US experts, rather than merely offering empty symbolic gestures.

The Obama administration granted Tehran a full decade with the 2015 agreement; now all Iran’s negotiators need to do is delay for a month or three, and they could achieve nuclear capabilities while Trump is still in office.

Don’t allow Witkoff to be misled.