US Prepares for Iran Nuclear Talks, Assembles Expert Team

Washington is reportedly gearing up for possible substantive negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program, even though a definitive agreement does not appear imminent. According to a report by Axios, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Wittek and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

There, they met with a group of technical experts who are expected to play a crucial role in providing support and potentially implementing a future agreement. Concurrently, CNN reports that the U.S. government has formed a dedicated team of around 100 scientists and specialists. This group's mandate includes managing Iran's enriched uranium reserves and imposing restrictions on future enrichment activities, should talks progress.

President Donald Trump commented on the developments from Air Force One, asserting that his administration is achieving significant success in this area. "They are not going to get a nuclear weapon. They are not in a position to get a nuclear weapon," he stated. He further added that only the U.S. and China possess the technological capability to recover enriched uranium from Iran's heavily secured nuclear facilities.

Conversely, Tehran appears highly cautious. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the possibility of a meeting between Donald Trump and Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, deeming such a prospect unrealistic. The proposal for a meeting had been made by the U.S. president in a recent interview, amidst a stalemate in broader Middle East conflict resolution talks. Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali after his death in late February, has not made a public appearance since taking office in early March, with Araghchi citing strict security reasons.