On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff stated that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon and doesn’t need “a civil nuclear program where you’re enriching past 3.67%.”
Witkoff said, [relevant remarks begin around 3:25] “[T]hey cannot have a bomb. The conversation with the Iranians will be much about two critical points: One, enrichment, as you mentioned, they do not need to enrich past 3.67%. In some circumstances, they’re at 60%, in other circumstances, 20%. That cannot be. And you do not need to run, as they claim, a civil nuclear program where you’re enriching past 3.67%. So, this is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program, and then ultimately, verification on weaponization. That includes missiles, the type of missiles that they have stockpiled there, and it includes the trigger for a bomb. And I think we’re here to have, as the president indicated — and I take my direction from him every day that I go to work — we’re here to see if we can solve this situation diplomatically and with dialogue. The first meeting was positive, constructive, compelling.”
Witkoff added that “verification will be the key point that undergirds this agreement, if we’re fortunate enough to get there.” And if the verification regime improves “then we’ll have the basis for positive talks, and if it doesn’t change, then we’ll have to seek alternatives, which will not be good for anybody.”
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