Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s chief representatives in Iran negotiations, attended a secret visit to the Oak Ridge national laboratory in Tennessee.
According to Axios news agency close to the White House, the two representatives had critical meetings with technical experts who could play a role in the planned nuclear negotiations with Iran.
The White House aims to sign a memorandum of understanding to end the war and initiate comprehensive nuclear talks.
The Washington administration wants the expert team to be fully present when these talks officially begin.
The White House and the National Nuclear Security Administration declined to make a statement about this surprise trip.
100 EXPERTS TOGETHER FOR IRAN’S NUCLEAR ASSETS
Oak Ridge facilities owned by the Ministry of Energy host the country’s most competent names in uranium processing and centrifuge technology.
According to Axios, negotiations with Iran are now in the final stages, but it is not yet known whether a final agreement will be reached.
The aim is to sign a memorandum of understanding that will be the basis of peace between the two countries. A new staff consisting of approximately 100 experts was established to take part in such a situation.
A US official said: “This meeting in Oak Ridge does not necessarily mean that an agreement will be reached, but it shows that the negotiations have reached an extremely serious stage. We have a great opportunity to complete the process successfully, and we want to be fully prepared for any eventuality.”
The US and Iranian sides have not yet reached full agreement on some technical details of the memorandum of understanding.
Regional sources reported that the talks between the two countries are at a very critical threshold.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TEAM OF THE USA
If the talks proceed to the second stage, this expert team will prepare a plan for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear materials.
The team will also organize the limitation and control processes of the enrichment program.
Some members of the team accompanied Kushner and Witkoff in the nuclear negotiations held in Oman before the war.
A US official emphasized the importance of the expert team by saying, “These people are the best nuclear experts within the US and they know in detail all the technical steps that an agreement with Iran will require.”
Although the White House has received positive signals, there are serious disagreements within the Tehran government on how to proceed.
‘THE BALL IS IN THE USA’S COURT’
Witkoff and Kushner agreed to the terms of a 60-day memorandum of understanding with their Iranian counterparts last week.
This draft text includes the extension of the ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. It also includes allowing Iran to sell oil and limiting its enriched uranium stocks.
Trump requested two changes to the text, and Tehran said it would submit its own corrections.
Trump wants a sixty-day time limit for diluting enriched uranium, while Iran demands a ninety-day deadline.
The issue of when the frozen billions of dollars will be released also constitutes a separate crisis topic.
An advisor to Iranian religious leader Mojtaba Khamenei told CNN: “Negotiations are currently completely deadlocked due to the dispute over frozen funds, and the ball is now entirely in Trump’s court.”
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