Donald Trump has put Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in charge of addressing Washington’s concerns about Iran, suggesting the US president is willing to test diplomacy before ramping up pressure on Tehran , said people familiar with the matter.
Witkoff, a real estate investor who played a pivotal role in securing a cease-fire in Gaza, is seeking to spearhead Iran’s nuclear program as part of a broader mandate by the president to “stop war” in the region. People said that was expected.
In 2018, Trump warned that it would be “the official end of Iran” if it pulled the United States out of its nuclear deal with world powers, then imposed tough sanctions, fought Washington and pursued nuclear weapons.
During the transition to his new administration, Trump’s team has charted possible steps to revive his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, either through new sanctions or tougher enforcement of current measures.
But Trump and his aides drew cables in early meetings that they wanted to continue paving the way to avoid a broader conflict with Iran.
Some administration officials have told diplomats and colleagues that they expect Witkoff to lead efforts to see if diplomatic accommodations are possible. Asked after the report was first released whether he would put Witkoff in charge of Iran policy, the president said Thursday: he did a great job. . . Steve has a great way about him. ”
Trump also said Thursday afternoon that he aims to make a deal with Iran. When asked whether he supported Israel hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said: “It would be really nice if it could be resolved without taking that step.”
He added: “Iran will hopefully make a deal.”
After George W. Bush began diplomatic efforts with Tehran’s nuclear program, various presidents raised senior officials to negotiate with Iran. It is unusual for a special envoy to be responsible for both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Washington’s relations with Iran.
Witkoff’s main focus remains the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza. Trump also chose Witkoff’s deputy, Morgan Ortagus, a State Department spokeswoman in his first term with experience in the Middle East.
U.S. officials say a complete outline of Trump’s approach to Tehran and Witkoff’s authority continues to flow. But several of the president’s recent appointments have established camps in the administration considering negotiations with Iran and skepticism of strikes against the nuclear program advocated by the Iran Hawks in both the U.S. and Israeli governments.
Trump’s new Middle East official at the Pentagon, Michael Dimino, is a former CIA official who advocated for restraint in dealing with Tehran at a think tank funded by the libertarian Koch family. Elbridge Colby, Trump’s nominee for director of defense policy, has been warned against military action against Iran.
Others on Trump’s foreign policy team have taken a more hawkish approach, including National Security Adviser Mike Walz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. At his confirmation hearing, Rubio said he supported “all the arrangements that allow us to have safety and stability in the region, but what we’re watching.” .
Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes asked about Witkoff’s role and the administration’s approach. “We have no announcements to share at this time,” the Trump National Security Council spokesperson said.
Western officials believe Iran is at its weakest point in decades after Israel’s multi-front war in the Middle East left Hamas and Hezbollah significantly reduced. Israel and the United States have claimed retaliatory strikes against Iran last year, which is denied by Tehran, but took out much of its air defenses.
The Islamic Republic has also indicated it is open to talks, but analysts say a key challenge will be for Trump and Iran to agree on terms that would make a deal possible. The United Nations warned in December that Iran had taken steps to “dramatically” increase its stockpile of enriched near weapons-grade uranium.
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Trump in 2018 withdrew the US from the nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran. Diplomats say Britain, France and Germany are keen to reach a co-ordinated approach with the US on what to do when that deal takes effect in October.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs, said in Davos this week that he wanted Trump to be “more serious, more focused and more realistic” in dealings with Iran.
He said the US withdrawal from the Iran deal had failed to “dissuade” Iran, but acknowledged the heavy economic cost to Iran’s people and government. Asked whether Iran would consider a deal that would require the country to stop supporting proxy groups in the region, he said: “We had no proxies.”
Witkoff’s potential stewardship of Iran issues has put Iran Hawks on alert in Congress and elsewhere in Washington.
“He has already put pressure on Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, abandoning American hostages and endangering Israel in the process,” said a senior Republican Congressional staffer. “He says he knows what Trump wants, but he doesn’t understand what Trump believes.”
Additional reporting by Bita Ghafari in Tehran
