The New York Times reported Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump blocked Israel’s plans to strike a nuclear site on Iran, a report by the New York Times on Wednesday as efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions have intensified.
The United States and Iran have not maintained diplomatic relations for 40 years after Trump evacuated from landmark deals in 2015 during his first term in office.
According to the report, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday, marking the highest-level nuclear negotiations between the two countries since the collapse of the original agreement.
Trump reportedly wrote to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March, proposing direct negotiations but warned of potential military operations if diplomatic efforts fail to produce results.
Israel has sought support with Washington for attacks on Iran’s nuclear facility and reviewed plans for months, a senior Trump administration official told the New York Times.
But during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the White House, Trump told Israeli officials that he would not approve of the strike. Instead, he publicly announced direct negotiations with Tehran.
Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons, although it has stepped up its nuclear activity after the U.S. withdraws from its 2015 deal.
The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed “serious concern” about Iran’s nuclear stockpile, indicating that the country has an enrichment of about 274.8 kilograms of uranium with a maximum purity of up to 60%, a level close to weapon-grade.
