‘Iran deal could be a week or more from now’ — Trump source

A source claimed senior Iranian decision-makers are “literally in caves” and difficult to contact.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior official with direct knowledge of the negotiations between the United States and Iran said a deal could still be a week or more away, pouring cold water on recent statements by President Donald Trump suggesting that an agreement is on the horizon.

The source, speaking anonymously to Axios, acknowledged that Trump said a week ago that Washington and Tehran were on the verge of reaching a deal. Those claims have been challenged by Iranian officials, who have insisted that several of the concessions Trump suggested Iran was prepared to make — including surrendering its stockpile of enriched uranium — remain off the table.

According to the official, the primary sticking point is now logistics and the timeline for transferring Iran’s enriched uranium. Some reports have suggested that the material could be handed over to a third party, such as Russia, as part of a broader agreement.

The main issue at hand is “specifics about how the U.S. gets the material and the timing,” the official told Axios.

Despite the delays, the source expressed confidence that an agreement would eventually be reached.

“There will be a deal. The imminence of it, we’ll see. We’re willing to wait so the president gets what he asks for,” the source said.

When pressed on the timeline, the official added: “It could be a week. It could be less. It could be more. At the turn of the week, we hope to have something.”

A second source within the administration said the negotiation process has been slowed because senior Iranian regime officials remain in hiding and are difficult to reach.

According to the source, the president had been informed that it could take time to receive an answer to the latest U.S. proposal from Tehran because “they’re literally in caves and they’re not using email.”