Iran Said It Possesses Enough Uranium For 11 Nukes: Report

U.S. negotiations with Iran collapsed after Tehran’s representatives openly declared their intention to continue enriching uranium to levels suitable for nuclear weapons, according to President Donald J. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Witkoff described a moment early in the negotiations when the Iranian delegation made its position unmistakably clear—leaving American negotiators stunned.

“The Iranians made it clear from the start that they believe they have an undeniable right to enrich all the uranium they possess,” Witkoff said. “That was how they opened the talks.”

According to Witkoff, the statement prompted an uneasy reaction between him and Jared Kushner, who was also involved in the discussions.

“Jared and I just looked at each other and thought, ‘Is this really happening?’” Witkoff said.

American negotiators quickly pushed back, insisting that Washington’s position remained firm: Iran should not be permitted to continue uranium enrichment activities at all.

Instead of moderating their stance, Iranian officials doubled down, signaling that enrichment was non-negotiable.

The talks ultimately unraveled when Tehran rejected a U.S. proposal that would have required a ten-year freeze on uranium enrichment. Under the plan, the United States would have supplied nuclear fuel to Iran at American expense.

“That was the moment we understood they had no intention of doing anything other than enriching uranium for nuclear weapons,” Witkoff said.

During the negotiations, Iranian officials also revealed the scale of their nuclear stockpile. According to Witkoff, two Iranian representatives confirmed that the country possessed approximately 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity.

Witkoff said the officials acknowledged that such material could potentially be converted into as many as eleven nuclear weapons.

“They weren’t hiding it. They were proud,” he said.

He added that Iranian negotiators even boasted about their ability to circumvent international monitoring systems while expanding their nuclear program.

Tensions flared during a particularly heated meeting last Thursday in Geneva, when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly shouted after the U.S. delegation reiterated its demand for a decade-long halt to enrichment, according to NBC News.

Witkoff said he attempted to defuse the confrontation.

“If you prefer, I can leave,” he told Araghchi.

Following the collapse of the talks, the American delegation briefed President Trump on the outcome. According to a senior administration official, the president was taken aback by how openly Iranian officials insisted on continuing enrichment activities.

Witkoff said the negotiations quickly revealed that Tehran was not negotiating in good faith.

“President Trump sent us to see if Iran was serious,” he said. “But by the second meeting, it was clear a deal was impossible. We came to the third meeting in good faith, and they wanted us to project optimism. There was nothing optimistic about it.”

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is pushing back against speculation that the United States could become entangled in a prolonged Middle East conflict if the administration authorizes additional military action.

Speaking aboard Air Force Two, Vance emphasized that the White House is not considering a long-term nation-building mission involving large deployments of U.S. troops.

“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight—there is no chance that will happen,” Vance told The Washington Post.

Washington has long argued that uranium enrichment within Iran creates a pathway to nuclear weapons capability and has maintained that Tehran must never be allowed to obtain such a weapon.

After appearing on Jesse Watters Primetime earlier this week, Vance reinforced that message on social media.

“President Trump will not get the United States into a years-long conflict with no clear objective,” Vance wrote. “Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. That is the goal of this operation, and President Trump will see it through to completion.”