By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

US envoy claims Iran nears weapons-grade threshold as Tehran rejects enrichment ban and prepares new talks.

Key Developments

• US envoy Steve Witkoff claims Iran could reach weapons-grade capability within a week.
• Washington insists on “zero enrichment” and the removal of Iran’s uranium stockpile.
• Iranian officials reject halting enrichment and demand sanctions relief.
• Tehran signals possible temporary agreement in early March indirect talks.
• Iranian military commanders stress readiness and constant monitoring of US movements.
• Trump considers limited strikes as regional military buildup intensifies.
• Iran condemns the US ambassador’s biblical expansion remarks on Israel.

Witkoff on Iran’s Enrichment Capacity

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said Saturday that Iran could be “a week away” from producing industrial-grade bomb-making material, describing the situation as “really dangerous” and reaffirming Washington’s red lines in the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Speaking to Fox News, Witkoff pointed to Iran’s enrichment levels, stating that Tehran has enriched uranium to 60 percent, which he argued exceeds levels required for civilian nuclear purposes.

“They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material,” Witkoff said. “That’s really dangerous. So they can’t have that.”

Witkoff emphasized that before entering negotiations, President Trump instructed him and Jared Kushner that the United States would insist on “zero enrichment” and the return of nuclear material stockpiled by Iran. According to Witkoff, Washington’s position remains firm that Iran must not enrich uranium and must hand over its enriched material.

“There have been some very hard red lines drawn,” he said.

Witkoff also noted that Trump has questioned why Iran, under significant US pressure and an expanded American naval presence in the region, has not formally declared that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon.

The envoy confirmed that, at Trump’s direction, he met with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, to discuss developments, including recent protests inside Iran. Witkoff described Pahlavi as someone who cares about his country, while stressing that US policy would ultimately follow Trump’s approach.

As of now, there has been no official response from Tehran directly addressing Witkoff’s “one week” claim.

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Tehran Rejects ‘Zero Enrichment’

While Witkoff’s warning sharpened Washington’s tone, Iranian officials have reiterated their rejection of demands to halt enrichment.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran and Washington remain divided over the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief. The official stressed that Iran’s right to enrich uranium must be recognized within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

He indicated that indirect talks between the two sides are expected in early March and suggested that a temporary agreement could be possible.

However, he underscored that Iran will not relinquish control over its oil and mineral resources to the United States. According to the official, American companies could participate in Iranian energy projects only as contractors, not as controlling entities.

In separate remarks to Al Jazeera, an Iranian official said negotiations are focused on Iran’s nuclear commitments, US obligations to lift sanctions, and broader economic cooperation.

He clarified that discussions have not included removing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium from the country.

“The negotiations did not address the issue of exporting Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile,” he said.

The official further warned that any future confrontation would target US interests in the region, stressing that Iran’s military preparedness is separate from the diplomatic track.

“We must look at things realistically. It is wrong to expect success at 100 percent,” he added.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously said Tehran is preparing a written proposal for the next round of negotiations following recent indirect talks held in Muscat and Geneva. According to Araghchi, the talks in Geneva produced agreement on “guiding principles,” though significant gaps remain.

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Military Signals

As negotiations continue, military rhetoric and preparations have intensified on both sides.

Iran’s Ground Forces Commander Ali Jahanshahi said Sunday that “all enemy movements are continuously monitored” amid rising tensions with the United States.

Speaking during a visit to a military unit in Piranshahr, near the Iraqi border, Jahanshahi said Iran’s forces are fully ready and capable of neutralizing potential threats at their early stages.

“Thanks to their advanced capabilities, our soldiers will not allow any hostile action against this land,” he said.

The renewed diplomatic efforts follow two rounds of indirect talks — first in Muscat and later in Geneva — under Omani mediation. The negotiations come against the backdrop of a significant US military buildup in the Persian Gulf and concurrent Iranian military drills.

On Friday, President Trump said he was considering a limited military strike to pressure Iran into reaching what he described as a “meaningful” agreement.

The United States has expanded its military presence in the region, including carrier strike groups, fighter jets, and enhanced defensive systems. The deployment is widely seen as both a deterrent and a signal of readiness should diplomacy fail.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have warned that any military aggression would not remain confined to Iran’s borders and that US bases and facilities in the region would constitute legitimate targets.

‘Extremist Rhetoric’: OIC, Iran and Hamas Condemn Huckabee Remarks

Political Frictions

Tensions between Iran and Western actors have also widened beyond the immediate nuclear file.

On Sunday, Iran condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a biblical right to land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers and stated, “It would be fine if they took it all.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described Huckabee’s statements as “a bold testament to American active complicity” in Israeli expansionist wars and “colonial genocide of Palestinians.”

Baghaei said such “extremist ideological rhetoric” would embolden Israel to continue what Tehran views as aggression against Palestinians and regional states.

The remarks added further strain to an already volatile regional environment shaped by the Gaza genocide and broader geopolitical rivalries.

The coming weeks will likely determine whether the two sides can narrow their differences or whether rhetoric and deployments translate into confrontation.

For now, negotiations proceed under the shadow of deadlines, red lines, and warnings — a high-stakes standoff where the balance between diplomacy and escalation remains fragile.

(Iranian Media, PC, Al-Mayadeen, AJA, AA)