US Demands Open-ended Nuclear Deal With Iran
- 26.02.2026, 8:13
"For the rest of my life."
Trump's special envoy Steve Whitkoff said in a private meeting that any deal with Iran must limit Tehran's nuclear program indefinitely.
Axios reports Axios.
"We start with the Iranians on the premise that they have no sunset clause in the agreement. Whether we make a deal or not, our premise is that you have to behave appropriately for the rest of your life," Whitkoff said at a Feb. 24 meeting with AIPAC donors in Washington, D.C., his sources quoted him as saying.
The Trump special envoy also said that U.S.-Iran talks are currently focused on nuclear issues.
But even if a deal is reached, the Trump administration would like to hold additional talks on Iran's missile program and support for proxy militias.
At that point, Whitkoff said, the U.S. would like other countries in the region to join the talks.
He specified that the key issues in the current talks are Iran's ability to enrich uranium and the fate of the country's existing stockpile of enriched uranium.
In addition, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week in an interview with CBS that Iran could sign a "better" deal that would guarantee that the country's nuclear program would "remain peaceful forever."
Trump envoys Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet again with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Thursday, Feb. 26. They will similarly discuss a nuclear deal proposal drafted by Iran.
A source familiar with the situation said Iran's political leadership had "approved" the proposal, but it was unclear whether the Iranians had already passed it on to the United States.
The meeting in Geneva is likely to be the last chance for a diplomatic breakthrough. The message that Kushner and Whitkoff deliver to Trump will have a significant impact on the president's decision whether to continue negotiations or order a military campaign against Iran.
Axios also reminded that under the 2015 deal - which Trump rescinded - most restrictions on the nuclear program expired within 8 to 25 years after it was signed.