Washington: US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Saturday that President Donald Trump is questioning why Iran has not “capitulated” despite Washington’s military build-up aimed at pressuring Tehran into a nuclear agreement.
The United States and Iran resumed Oman-mediated talks in Geneva this week to avert potential military action. Meanwhile, Washington deployed two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and additional weaponry to the region to reinforce its warnings.
In an interview with Fox News host Lara Trump, Witkoff said the president remained “curious” about Iran’s response after warning of severe consequences if it failed to reach a deal. Although he avoided describing Trump as frustrated, he said the president wondered why Iran had not yielded under mounting pressure.
Witkoff questioned why Tehran had not approached Washington with concrete assurances that it does not seek nuclear weapons. “With the amount of sea power 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’?” he said.
Furthermore, Witkoff confirmed that he met US-based Reza Pahlavi at Trump’s direction but declined to provide details. Pahlavi recently said he stands ready to guide Iran toward a secular democratic future after Trump suggested regime change could benefit the country.
At the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would present a draft proposal for an agreement within days. Trump, however, stated that Iran has no more than 15 days to make a deal focused on its nuclear programme.
As negotiations continue, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US pressure, asserting that Trump would not succeed in undermining the Islamic republic.
