Deal would see Iran reduce uranium enrichment and ultimately transfer its enriched uranium to a third country, report says.
In recent diplomatic discussions held in Muscat, Iran reportedly delivered a structured proposal to American representatives outlining a path toward curbing its nuclear activity in exchange for phased sanctions relief, Iran International reported on Thursday.
The offer was conveyed in writing by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, sources familiar with the matter told the website, which is affiliated with the Iranian opposition and is known to have ties to the Saudi Arabian royal family
The three-phase proposal, presented during a three-hour session on Saturday, involves a gradual rollback of uranium enrichment efforts and a reinstatement of international oversight in return for tangible economic incentives, the report said.
As detailed by diplomatic sources in Tehran, the initial step would see Iran scale back uranium enrichment to 3.67% on a temporary basis. In return, Tehran is seeking access to financial assets frozen under US measures and a green light to resume oil exports.
The second phase, as outlined, envisions a permanent halt to high-grade uranium enrichment and a full restoration of monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These commitments, however, are contingent upon the United States not only lifting further sanctions but also persuading European signatories — the UK, France, and Germany — to avoid reactivating United Nations sanctions under the snapback mechanism.
This stage would also require Iran to reintroduce the Additional Protocol, which allows for unannounced inspections of nuclear sites by the UN watchdog. Iran suspended its compliance with this measure in February 2021, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord during Trump’s first presidency.
In the final stage, Tehran is seeking formal US congressional approval of a renewed nuclear deal. This phase would involve a comprehensive lifting of both primary and secondary sanctions, while Iran would transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country as a confidence-building measure.
According to Iran International, while the initial talks in Oman were described as constructive, with Witkoff expressing openness to the Iranian plan, expectations for a second round of negotiations in Rome this weekend remain uncertain.
The report also stated that not all observers are convinced of Tehran’s sincerity. A diplomatic source based outside of Iran told Iran International that the Islamic Republic may be seeking to delay potential military action by dragging out negotiations through complex, drawn-out phases.
“One of the reasons Iran’s Supreme Leader agreed to allow the resumption of negotiations is the need to buy more time, because he knows Iran currently lacks the ability to defend itself against another airstrike,” the source alleged.
The same source further claimed that Iran is working to rebuild its air defenses and restore its capacity to produce surface-to-surface missiles — both of which suffered severe damage in Israeli strikes last October.
Witkoff declared on Tuesday that any future agreement with Iran must include the complete dismantlement of its nuclear program.
“A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal,” Witkoff wrote. “Any final arrangement must set in place a framework for peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East – meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponisation program. It is imperative for the world that we create a tough fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”
A day earlier, Trump discussed the talks between his administration and the Iranian regime and said, “We’ve got a problem with Iran, but I’ll solve that problem, that’s almost an easy one.” Later, he added, “Iran wants to deal with us, but they don’t know how. We had a meeting with them on Saturday. We have another meeting scheduled for next Saturday. I said that’s a long time [between meetings].
“I think they’re tapping us along because they were so used to dealing with stupid people in this country,” the President alleged.
