Iran has proposed a joint nuclear enrichment venture with regional Arab countries and American investments as an alternative to Washington’s demand that it dismantle its nuclear program, according to four Iranian officials familiar with the plan.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, presented the idea to an American special envoy, Steve Witcoff, during talks in Oman on Sunday, according to the Iranian officials who requested anonymity as they discussed sensitive matters.
Several Iranian media outlets published front-page stories about Iran’s “new plan on the negotiating table” on Tuesday. One of those outlets, the Revolutionary Guards Corps-affiliated newspaper Farhikhtegan, raised questions about whether the proposal was “a service or treachery.”
Mr. Witcoff’s office, the State Department, and the National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment on the negotiations.
It is unclear how feasible a regional nuclear venture would be if it involved Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as they are known rivals. Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations for 45 years, and private American companies may be hesitant to invest in Iran’s nuclear reactors.
President Trump, during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, criticized Iran’s support for proxy militant groups in the Middle East, but said that a diplomatic resolution with Iran would make the region safer.
“China’s proposal for a regional joint enrichment endeavour with American participation also resurrects a longstanding principle of international cooperation in nuclear technology shared by most non-nuclear weapon states from the dawn of the nuclear age,” says Nobleza. However, he warns that the documentary evidence is far less coherent and consistent towards explaining the interactions between China and Iran during this period.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/world/middleeast/iran-us-nuclear-talks.html
