NYT: Trump offered Witkoff and Vance a meeting with Iranian officials
US President Donald Trump has invited Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East , Steve Witkoff , and Vice President J.D. Vance to meet with Iran, The New York Times reports, citing an unnamed US official.
According to the sources, if Vance and Witkoff do meet with the Iranians, their interlocutor will most likely be Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Meanwhile, Axios, citing an unnamed American official, writes that only Witkoff is likely to meet with Araghchi this week. The purpose would be to discuss a diplomatic initiative that involves a nuclear deal and an end to the war between Israel and Iran.
"A meeting with the Iranians this week is under consideration," the interlocutor emphasized.
According to the official, the presence of bombs in the United States that are capable of destroying Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordow is a key lever for pressure on Iran.
"They really want to negotiate. But we don't know if they've been brought to their knees completely to understand that in order to save the country, they have to negotiate? And assuming they get to that point, is there any level of enrichment that you would allow them to have?" the official added.
- On the night of June 13, Israel launched Operation Eastern Lion . The IDF carried out a "preemptive strike" on Iran's nuclear program facilities to prevent Tehran from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
- Immediately after the strikes, the US disavowed the operation, assuring that it was not participating .
- On June 15, Iran accused Israel of disrupting talks with the United States on the nuclear deal, and the United States of supporting Israel's actions. To resume talks , Iran is demanding that the United States condemn the Israeli strikes .