Trump Administration Says Iran Nuclear Program Is Focus as 60-Day Talks Begin
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the Trump administration is focused on Iran’s nuclear program as U.S. and Iranian officials begin a new round of negotiations tied to a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the war.
Waltz made the comments Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, where he defended direct diplomacy with Iranian officials while arguing that the administration’s priority is preventing Iran from retaining a nuclear weapons path. CBS reported that Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. officials were meeting Iranian representatives in Switzerland, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The practical stakes are larger than one television interview. The reported agreement starts a 60-day negotiating clock for a final deal on Iran’s nuclear program and includes sanctions and oil-market consequences. AP reported that the agreement calls for Iran to dilute highly enriched uranium and allows Iran to sell oil, while noting the full U.S.-released text had not been formally made public.
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Waltz’s central argument is verification. CBS reported that he said any deal would depend on verifying Iran’s compliance, not trusting Tehran. He also confirmed Department of Energy technical experts were involved in talks over uranium handling.
The competing view is clear. Iran says it will not abandon enrichment rights, and some Republicans warn sanctions relief could give Tehran more resources for its military or proxy groups.
The next test is whether negotiators can turn a fragile framework into enforceable nuclear limits before regional conflict, domestic skepticism, or unclear deal terms overwhelm the process.
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