US Envoy: Iran Must Act Responsibly in Nuclear Talks

As a new round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States approaches, Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy, stressed that Tehran must prove it will behave responsibly.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Witkoff said that President Donald Trump is applying pressure on Iran during the negotiations. He warned that Iran could be “about a week away from building a nuclear bomb” and added, “We will never allow that.”

Witkoff also criticized Iran’s uranium enrichment, stating it far exceeds civilian nuclear needs. He expressed surprise that Iran has not yielded under US pressure.

Iranian leaders, meanwhile, have resisted such pressure. President Massoud Bazhkian said on Saturday that Iran would not “bow” to global powers. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi indicated that Tehran plans to submit a draft agreement or proposal to the US through mediators within the next two days.

Recently, Trump ordered a significant military buildup in the Middle East and prepared for a possible airstrike on Iran, which could last several weeks. Earlier threats in January targeted Iran’s crackdown on domestic protests, but Trump later refrained from immediate action.

Although Trump has linked potential military action to demands to end Iran’s nuclear program and hinted at regime change, White House officials told Reuters that there is no unified support within the administration for an actual strike at this time.

This month (February 2026), the US and Iran held two indirect negotiation rounds—in Muscat and Geneva—described as positive. A third round is planned soon, though no date has been confirmed.