U.S. Sends Iran Proposal on Nuclear Deal, Amid Reports of Uranium Enrichment Ramp-Up

The United States presented its first formal proposal to Tehran for elements of a nuclear deal on Saturday, just hours after U.N. inspectors reported a major surge over the past three months in the size of Tehran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium.

The document was described by officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges as a series of bullet points but not a full draft of an agreement. It calls for Iran to cease all enrichment of uranium and proposes the creation of a regional consortium to produce nuclear power that would involve Iran; Saudi Arabia and other Arab states; and the United States.

The offer marked the first time since negotiations began in early April that the lead American negotiator, Steve Witkoff, had put forth a proposal on paper.

The delivery of the document was made public in a tweet by Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, who said it had been delivered by his counterpart from Oman, which has been mediating the talks. The White House later confirmed the action.

“President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. “Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.”

Many experts are skeptical that Iran’s aging supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will approve a deal that would essentially shut down the advanced nuclear production facilities that the Iranians have spent billions to construct, and that have been the targets of sabotage by the United States and Israel.