Washington uses nuclear expertise in preparation for upcoming deal with Iran
The US news website "Axios" revealed a secret and unannounced visit by US President Donald Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, to the National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in a field step that reflects the entry of nuclear negotiations with Tehran into a very serious phase.
The visit was aimed at conducting intensive technical consultations with a newly formed team of about 100 elite U.S. atomic scientists who specialize in uranium processing and centrifuge techniques at the Y-12 National Security Complex, who will be tasked with developing the implementation plan and dismantling nuclear material immediately after signing.
U.S. officials have stressed that the use of this team, some of whose members have recently participated in the recovery of enriched uranium from Venezuela and some of whom had previously participated in the Amman negotiations, does not mean that the agreement is inevitable, but rather indicates the White House's desire to be technologically ready for verification and compliance mechanisms.
This technical alert coincided with firm statements by President Donald Trump in which he stressed that his administration is achieving great success, stressing that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon, and considering that the continued flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is the main reason why global oil prices are stable and do not jump to record levels.
Time and financial gaps that mortgage the final understanding
Specific differences have surfaced in the draft understanding drafted by the two U.S. envoys with their Iranian counterparts, mainly centered on the timeline;
According to the website, President Trump has stipulated that no more than 60 days be granted to complete the process of reducing Iran's uranium enrichment, while Tehran has stuck to extending the time limit to 90 days; besides the time dilemma, sharp disagreements have surfaced over the timing and size of the release of frozen Iranian assets, as Washington requires that financial flows be linked to concrete executive steps on the ground, while Tehran demands the immediate release of part of the funds to revive its economy.
On the other hand, Mohsen Rezaei, advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran for military affairs, announced that the talks have reached an impasse in the file of frozen funds due to mutual mistrust, considering that "the ball is now in Trump's court."
These tensions were accompanied by indications of internal divisions in Tehran's political corridors over how to proceed, especially with continued US pressure and Trump's assertion that his country has technical alternatives and does not necessarily need an agreement to obtain enriched uranium.
Intertwining regional pathways
These cautious diplomatic developments come at a critical juncture on the ground on the regional stability front, as Tehran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have linked the success of any nuclear agreement to the de-escalation of the situation in Lebanon and Israel's complete withdrawal from its territory.
On the Lebanese crisis line, Trump announced contacts with Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah to make progress, but the party's secretary-general, Naim Qassem, rejected the ceasefire agreement promoted by Washington, demanding a comprehensive cessation of aggression and a complete withdrawal, and calling direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv a "farce."
In light of this blockade, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that the current route is the "last chance" for rescue, amid continued violent Israeli raids on the south and the Bekaa Valley, and the Israeli army's announcement that one of its officers was killed by an anti-armor missile north of the Litani River, proving that any future nuclear agreement will remain contingent on the extent to which it is able to dismantle explosive field knots in the region.