President Donald Trump’s decision not to attack Iran was taken in the hope that trust could be established and thus avoid armed confrontation, former US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff explained, commenting on Friday. In an interview with news anchor Tucker Carlson, Witkoff explained that the recent letter from Trump to the Iranian government was not intended to be a warning.
Trump’s Letter to Ayatollah Khamenei
On March 7, Trump announced that he had penned a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for nuclear talks to be resumed. He also issued a threat of possible military intervention, which was brushed off by Khamenei in a television address, saying, “The Americans should know threats will get them nowhere when confronting Iran.”
Witkoff Backs Trump’s Diplomatic Strategy
Witkoff stood up for Trump’s diplomatic efforts, saying that even though the US has the military power, it was Trump who reached out to Iran. “Instead, it’s him doing that,” he said of Trump’s bid to open up a dialogue with Iran.Witkoff characterized Trump’s letter as saying peace, with the message: “I’m a president of peace. That’s what I want. There’s no reason for us to do this militarily. We should talk.”
He highlighted that the letter suggested a verification program to settle issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program, with an emphasis that the alternative would be much worse.
US-Iran Backchannel Negotiations Continue
Witkoff also disclosed that US negotiations with Iran persist via all kinds of backchannels, through more than one country and channels. Trump, he continued, is “open to an opportunity to clean it all up with Iran, where they come back to the world and be a great nation once again. He wants to build trust with them.
