Axios: US Has Started Preparing For Talks With Iran
- 22.03.2026, 18:21
The Trump administration is discussing the parameters of a possible deal.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has begun discussing the transition to talks with Iran and the parameters of a possible deal, two sources told Axios. The head of state's special envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump's son-in-law David Kushner are involved in the preparations for a diplomatic settlement. According to sources, Washington expects to get Tehran to completely abandon uranium enrichment and dismantle the nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, which the US and Israel bombed in 2025. Other demands include a five-year moratorium on the development of the missile program, limiting the number of missiles to 1,000, guarantees of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and an end to support for proxy groups - Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Houthis in Yemen.
There have been no direct contacts between the US and Iran in recent days, although Egypt, Qatar and Britain have relayed messages between the two sides, the interlocutors told the publication. They said Iran has expressed interest in talks but has set tough conditions, among them a ceasefire, non-aggression guarantees and reparations. According to the U.S. official, Trump considers the latter demand "unacceptable." A second source said the return of frozen assets to Iran could be raised instead. Now the Trump team is trying to figure out with whom in the republic to negotiate and which country can act as a mediator. The US would like to involve Qatar, as it considers it a more reliable channel than Oman, which has been involved in previous contacts, but so far the latter is ready to help only "behind the scenes."
Despite deep disagreements and the lack of direct dialog, the Trump administration assumes that Iran will eventually come to the negotiating table. According to sources, preparations are being made with the expectation that the diplomatic process could begin as soon as possible.
While Trump said on March 22 that he does not want to negotiate with Iran yet. He emphasized that he had already "achieved the goals" set before launching a military operation against the republic. "Their leadership is destroyed, their navy and air force are defeated, they have absolutely no defense, and they want to make a deal. And I don't!" - he wrote on his social media.
Some time before that, Trump had said that the US was considering "winding down" the military campaign against Iran because all of its objectives had been practically accomplished. Among them, he listed the complete destruction of Iran's missile capabilities and defense-industrial base, the elimination of its air force and navy, and preventing Tehran from moving closer to developing nuclear weapons. Another task, Trump said, is "defense at the highest level" of Washington's allies in the region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.