Trump has ruled out talks with Iran, embracing ‘active’ approach – report

President has reportedly rejected plans by envoy Steve Witkoff to reboot talks with Iran, instead shifting to an “activist” approach of economic and military pressure on Tehran.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump has ruled out pursuing new nuclear talks with the Iranian government, multiple diplomatic sources say, and is instead embracing an “active approach” emphasizing military and economic pressure to force Tehran to abandon its efforts to reconstitute its uranium enrichment program and expand its ballistic missile arsenal.

According to a report published by Israel Hayom on Tuesday morning, Trump recently rejected a proposal drafted by White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that called for overtures to Iran to return to the negotiating table.

Under the plan drawn up by Witkoff, the US would pursue talks with Iran which would be mediated by Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Two diplomatic sources cited in the report said that a “concrete, secret” plan to reboot talks with Iran was presented to the president.

The Witkoff proposal also included offering new concessions to Iran.

While the US has previously demanded Tehran halt all uranium enrichment efforts and surrender any enriched uranium from its 400-kilo stockpile, much of which is believed to have survived last year’s 12-day war, under the Witkoff plan, the US would propose a freeze on enrichment operations.

Iran’s existing uranium stockpile would be maintained, albeit with international supervision.

However, the report claimed that the president has opted against Witkoff’s proposal, pushing instead for new sanctions against Iran and other measures intended to not only pressure the regime but also bring about its collapse.

In so doing, Trump sided with senior administration officials who have favored a more aggressive stance, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Both Rubio and Hegseth have lobbied Trump to reject Witkoff’s plan to renew negotiations, pointing to Iran’s lack of credibility and continued support for terrorist proxies.

During the meeting last week with an Israeli delegation headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump and other senior US officials were presented with an Israeli intelligence dossier, assembled by the next head of the Mossad, Military Secretary Major General Roman Gofman.

The dossier documented Iranian efforts to revive its nuclear program, expand its ballistic missile arsenal, and strengthen terrorist networks across Europe and South America.

According to the diplomatic sources cited in Tuesday’s report, all options are now on the table for confronting Iran, including over the regime’s killing of protesters over the past nine days.