US special envoy Steve Witkoff stated on Saturday that President Donald Trump is puzzled over Iran’s continued resistance despite Washington’s substantial military buildup in the region, which is intended to compel Tehran to accept a new nuclear agreement.
In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, Witkoff described the president as “curious” about Iran’s stance after repeated warnings of severe repercussions if no deal is reached.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why haven’t they capitulated?” he said.
“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet it’s sort of hard to get them to that place.”
The remarks come as the United States and Iran resumed indirect, Oman-mediated negotiations in Geneva this week, aimed at preventing potential military escalation. Washington recently deployed two aircraft carriers, additional fighter jets, and other military assets to the Middle East to reinforce its demands.
Witkoff also confirmed that he met with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah who has lived outside the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He said the meeting occurred at President Trump’s direction, though he offered no further details.
Pahlavi, speaking last week at a gathering in Munich, declared his readiness to lead Iran toward a “secular democratic future,” following Trump’s earlier statement that regime change would benefit the country.
The envoy’s comments follow Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s announcement that Tehran would soon present a draft proposal for an agreement with the United States.
On Thursday, President Trump gave Iran a deadline of at most 15 days to reach a deal addressing concerns primarily centered on its nuclear programme.
Amid the ongoing Geneva discussions, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Tuesday that Trump would fail in any attempt to dismantle the Islamic Republic.
Western governments accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons—a charge Tehran consistently denies—while insisting on its right to uranium enrichment for peaceful civilian purposes.
Iran has repeatedly stated that its primary objective in the talks is securing relief from international sanctions, which have severely damaged its economy and contributed to widespread anti-government protests in December.
