US tries to reboot Iran nuclear negotiations - CNN

According to informed sources cited by CNN, the White House has discussed the possibility of granting Iran access to around $30 billion to develop a civilian nuclear program, as well as easing sanctions and unblocking billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.

These proposals are part of intensified efforts aimed at bringing Tehran back to the negotiating table.

Key US and Middle Eastern representatives have been holding behind-the-scenes talks with the Iranian side, even amid a series of military strikes between Iran and Israel over the past two weeks. These contacts continued this week following an agreement to cease hostilities.

Proposals and incentives

Representatives of the Trump administration emphasize that several proposals are currently being considered. They are still in preliminary stages and continue to evolve, but one demand remains unchanged: a complete ban on uranium enrichment by Iran, despite Tehran insisting on its necessity.

However, according to two sources, one of the draft agreements already includes a number of incentives for Iran.

Some details were discussed during a secret several-hour meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and partners from Gulf countries at the White House on June 20, just one day before the US carried out airstrikes on Iran.

Among the points being discussed, which had not been previously reported, is an investment of $20–30 billion in a new Iranian nuclear program focused on energy production without uranium enrichment.

According to officials and sources, these funds will not come directly from the US—Washington expects that the main financing will be provided by Arab partners. A similar concept has been discussed in earlier rounds of nuclear talks over the past months.

“The US is willing to lead these talks. And someone is going to need to pay for the nuclear program to be built, but we will not make that commitment,” a Trump administration representative told CNN.

Other incentives included in the draft involve the possible lifting of some sanctions, as well as granting Iran access to $6 billion currently held in overseas accounts, to which Tehran does not have free access.

Another idea discussed last week involves Gulf countries cooperating with the US to fund the construction of a new facility to replace the nuclear complex at Fordow, which was targeted by US bunker-buster bombs. However, it remains unclear whether Iran would have access to this new facility or how seriously this initiative is being considered.

“There are a lot of ideas being thrown around by different people and a lot of them are trying to be creative,” one source said.

“I think it is entirely uncertain what will happen here,” said another insider familiar with the five previous rounds of negotiations between the US and Iran that took place before the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Enriched uranium - imports only

On Wednesday, June 25, Steve Witkoff told CNBC that the US aims to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement. The Trump administration official emphasized that all initiatives are focused on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The US recognizes Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program but insists that it must be based on imported enriched uranium, not domestically produced material. Witkoff compared the potential Iranian program to the model used by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Now the issue and the conversation with Iran is going to be, how do we rebuild a better civil nuclear program for you that is non-enrichable?” he told CNBC.

The administration will likely have an opportunity to present the draft terms to the Iranian side. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced that negotiations between the US and Iran could take place next week.

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that he did not know about such talks, while sources involved in the preparations indicated that details are still being finalized.

CNN sources noted that no exact date for the negotiations has been set yet.

Trump's unwavering stance

Despite the active diplomacy being carried out behind the scenes by Witkoff, Trump publicly downplayed the importance of a new nuclear deal.

“I don’t care if I have an agreement or not. I could get a statement that they’re not going to go nuclear, we’re probably going to ask for that,” he said at the NATO summit on Wednesday.

The president also noted that the US would seek the same commitments that had already been discussed with Iran before the latest escalation between Israel and Iran.

“The only thing we’d be asking for is what we were asking for before,” Trump emphasized, adding that his goal is no nuclear weapons.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as acting National Security Advisor, stated on Wednesday that any agreement would depend on Iran’s willingness to engage in direct talks with the US.

“We’d love to have peaceful relations with any country in the world. And so obviously that will depend on Iran’s willingness not just to engage in peace, but to negotiate directly with the United States, not through a third-country or fourth-country process,” Rubio said during a press conference with Trump in The Hague.

On Wednesday, Witkoff stated that there are signs a deal could be reached.

“We’re having conversations with the Iranians. There are multiple interlocutors reaching out to us. I think that they’re ready,” he told CNBC.

US strikes on Iran's nuclear program

On June 13, the Israel Defense Forces launched a military operation called Rising Lion, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities used for uranium enrichment and the development of nuclear warheads.

Later, Israel appealed to the US to strike facilities deeply buried underground or in mountainous areas, as the IDF lacked the necessary weaponry for such operations.

During the night of June 22, US forces carried out a series of precision strikes on nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using powerful bunker-busting bombs capable of penetrating deep underground structures.

The US Department of Defense stated that the operation resulted in the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program and the regime’s nuclear ambitions.

On June 24, US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had reached a full ceasefire agreement, which was set to take effect within 24 hours. Trump called it the end of the war.

However, CNN and The New York Times reported that the US military strikes did not completely destroy the three targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth harshly criticized the media for casting doubt on the success of the mission.

According to Trump, the Iranian regime did not have time to remove uranium enrichment centrifuges and other equipment from the Fordow facility, which is located deep within a mountain.