Witkoff says president ‘curious’ about Tehran’s challenge despite Washington’s military buildup
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff holds a news conference following the signing of the declaration on the deployment of post-ceasefire forces in Ukraine, during the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026. SOURCE: REUTERS
WASHINGTON/PARIS:
US envoy Steve Witkoff said Saturday that President Donald Trump wonders why Iran has not “capitulated” to Washington’s military buildup aimed at pressuring it into a nuclear deal.
The United States and Iran this week resumed talks mediated by Oman in Geneva aimed at avoiding the possibility of military action, after Washington sent two aircraft carriers, planes and weapons to the region to back up its warnings.
In a Fox News interview with Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, Witkoff said the president was “curious” about Iran’s position after warning them of dire consequences if they failed to reach a deal.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’ because he understands that he has many alternatives, but he’s curious to know why they haven’t done it… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated,” he said.
“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of sea and naval power that is there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess that we don’t want a gun, so this is what we’re willing to do’? And yet it’s a little difficult to get them to that place.”
The US envoy also confirmed in the interview that he had met with Reza Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the monarchy.
“I met with him by order of the president,” he said, without giving further details.
Pahlavi, based in the United States, told a crowd in Munich last week that he was ready to lead the country toward a “secular democratic future” after Trump said regime change would be best for the country.
Witkoff’s comments come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a draft proposal for a deal with Washington would be ready within days.
Trump said Thursday that Iran had at most 15 days to reach a deal on concerns starting with its nuclear program.
As talks between the two nations continued in Geneva, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Trump would not succeed in destroying the Islamic republic.
Western countries accuse the Islamic Republic of trying to acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies, although it insists on its right to enrichment for civilian purposes.
Iran, for its part, is trying to negotiate an end to sanctions that have proven to be a huge drag on its economy and helped spark anti-government protests in December.
Meanwhile, Araghchi said on Sunday that his country would counterattack American interests in the Middle East in the event of an attack, although he still saw a chance for a diplomatic resolution.
Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, the Iranian Foreign Minister said he expected further talks on the details of a deal, “probably” on Thursday, as fears of a new conflict emerged after Washington carried out a major redeployment of military assets to the region.
On Sunday, Iranian students held pro- and anti-government protests at several universities, and critics of the clerical leadership risk arrest or worse if caught.
“If the United States attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets.
Still, he said, “there is a good chance of achieving a diplomatic solution.”
After a recent round of talks in Geneva, Iran said it was preparing a draft proposal for a deal that would avoid military action.
“I think when we meet, probably this Thursday again in Geneva, we will be able to work on those elements and prepare a good text and reach an agreement quickly,” Araghchi told CBS.
Axios had previously reported, citing an unnamed senior US official, that if Iran presented its proposal in the next 48 hours, Washington was willing to meet again later in the week “to begin detailed negotiations.”
The United States has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East in recent weeks, along with other aircraft and ships, and has also bolstered its air defenses in the region to back up its threats of military intervention.
