Washington, DC – Morgan Ortagus, former deputy special envoy to the US president for Middle East affairs, said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump is still seeking a diplomatic agreement with Iran. However, he will retain military options if negotiations fail.
Speaking on Fox News Live, Ortagus described the Iranian government as a tough negotiator and said the U.S. government is entering these talks from a position of strength following the recent U.S. military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear program. “President Trump always has the option to return to the military option if he cannot reach the agreement he needs with the regime,” Ortagus said. However, she added that Donald Trump has always favored diplomacy, pointing to his decision to pursue negotiations after military action rather than immediately escalate the conflict. Furthermore, Morgan Ortagus stated that any future agreement must ensure the Islamic Republic does not acquire nuclear weapons and address the regime’s support for proxy groups throughout the region, including Hezbollah.
Axios and The New York Times reported that US President Donald Trump called for stricter terms for a potential framework agreement with Iran and sent a revised version to Tehran for review. Axios, citing a senior administration official and a source familiar with the matter, reported that during a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday, Trump asked his team to review several sections of the text his envoys had been working on with the Iranian side, particularly those relating to Iran’s nuclear program and nuclear materials.
The current text of the agreement includes Tehran’s commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons, but it does not offer any other specific concessions, according to the report.
The agreement also provides a 60-day period for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear commitments and the lifting of US sanctions. Its first provisions are to include the elimination of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and restrictions on further enrichment. Axios reported that Trump requested changes to this provision. A senior administration official said Trump’s request included “more details on how the US would obtain these materials and when.” Furthermore, another source familiar with the matter stated that Trump wants to amend certain language related to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The New York Times, citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported that Trump revised parts of the draft agreement and returned a more restrictive version to Tehran. According to the report, the agreement proposals were followed up, and a final agreement was reached with the involvement of mediators, including Pakistani officials. Furthermore, the report indicates that Trump was dissatisfied with the Islamic Republic’s slow response to the American proposals. He was also concerned about aspects of the agreement that might be linked to the release of Iranian assets.
Trump has repeatedly reiterated his conditions in recent days, stating that the United States wants Tehran to refrain from acquiring nuclear weapons. The US also demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment and surrender its stockpiles of enriched uranium. In his latest remarks, he said, “Initially they said we would not produce nuclear weapons. I said, ‘What if you bought nuclear weapons?’ So now the text has changed to say we will not produce nuclear weapons and we will not buy a military nuclear weapon in any form.” Trump previously told Reuters that the United States would cooperate with Iran to recover its enriched uranium and transfer it to the United States. Responding to a report suggesting a possible payment for the uranium, he said, “That’s absolutely not true. There is no money being exchanged.”
But Iranian officials have stated they have not yet approved the final text. Axios also reported that Iranian state media indicated a deal was imminent but not yet finalized. Additionally, the White House denied Iranian state media claims of receiving billions of dollars in frozen assets. Trump’s demand has prompted a new round of negotiations between the two sides. This round could last several days, according to Axios. A senior US administration official said Washington is prepared to wait until Trump meets his demands but hopes to reach an agreement by the end of the week.
