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The Trump administration is prepared to consider a proposal allowing Iran "token" nuclear enrichment if it leaves no possible path to a bomb, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Saturday.
The Pentagon has reportedly presented U.S. President Donald Trump with options that include directly targeting Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei.
"President Trump will be ready to accept a deal that would be substantive and that he can sell politically at home. If the Iranians want to prevent an attack, they should give us an offer we can't refuse. The Iranians keep missing the window. If they play games, there won't be a lot of patience," the senior U.S. official said.
The disclosure suggests there could be an opening, if only a small one, between the red lines set by the U.S. and Iran for a deal to constrain Iran's nuclear capabilities and prevent war, according to the report.
"The president hasn't decided to strike yet. I know that because we haven't struck. He might never do it. He might wake up tomorrow and say, 'That's it,'" one senior Trump adviser told Axios.
The adviser said the Pentagon had presented Trump with "numerous options."
"They have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs," the adviser said, referring to Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who is seen as a potential successor.
"What the president chooses no one knows. I don't think he knows," the adviser added.
A second source speaking to Axios confirmed a plan to kill Khamenei and his son was floated to Trump several weeks ago.
"Trump is keeping his options open. He could decide on an attack at any moment," another senior Trump adviser said.
Trump confirmed Friday that he is considering a limited military strike on Iran.
"I guess I can say I am considering that," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about limited military action to pressure Iran into a deal.
Hours later, Trump warned that Iran "better negotiate a fair deal."
"The people of Iran are a lot different than the leaders of Iran, and it's a very, very, very sad situation," Trump said, adding that 32,000 people were killed over a "relatively short period of time."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran was planning to finalize a draft deal in "the next two to three days" to send to Washington.
"I don't think it takes long, perhaps, in a matter of a week or so, we can start real, serious negotiations on the text and come to a conclusion," Araghchi said on MSNOW's "Morning Joe."
Araghchi claimed the U.S. side did not ask Iran to agree to "zero enrichment" during Geneva talks, adding: "What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever."
However, a senior U.S. official said envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Araghchi that Trump's position was "zero enrichment" on Iranian soil—but if the proposal includes "small, token enrichment" with detailed proof it poses no threat, the U.S. will study it.
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A source familiar with the talks told Axios that both Omani and Qatari mediators told Iran and the U.S. in recent days that any deal must enable both sides to claim victory and, if possible, be something Gulf countries and Israel can accept.
"It should be a win-win deal. This is the difficult part. It needs to accommodate both sides' interests and concerns," Araghchi said.
IAEA Director General Raphael Grossi is involved in negotiations and has suggested "technical measures" to ensure Iran's nuclear program cannot be diverted to non-peaceful purposes, potentially including robust U.N. monitoring and removal or dilution of 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium buried by U.S. and Israeli bombs.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, joining a massive military buildup.
Satellite images show Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan packed with 18 F-15E Strike Eagles, 18 F-35A stealth fighters, 12 F-16s, six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets and two MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Twelve F-16CJs from the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing were spotted heading to the region carrying 'Angry Kitten' electronic warfare (EW) pods, optimized for the Wild Weasel mission of neutralizing enemy air defenses.
Hundreds of U.S. troops have been evacuated from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and from Bahrain as a precautionary measure, the New York Times (NYT) reported.
Three senior House Democrats warned against preemptive military action, urging continued diplomacy.
"Absent a broader diplomatic framework, military strikes would be destabilizing, dangerous, and counterproductive," said Representatives Gregory Meeks, Adam Smith and Jim Himes.
However, Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Mike Lawler opposed a war powers resolution, arguing it would "restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats."
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