According to a report by Axios, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Iran affairs, and senior advisor Jared Kushner made a discreet trip this week to Tennessee, where they held closed-door talks with nuclear experts to prepare the technical groundwork for a possible future U.S.–Iran agreement.
The report says the two visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex on Thursday, June 4. The White House is currently pushing for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran.
Axios, citing two U.S. officials, reported that the U.S. has recently assembled a team of about 100 experts focused on the technical implementation of any future agreement. One of the key tasks is determining how to handle Iran’s existing stockpile of enriched uranium.
The report noted that some of the experts involved in this effort previously took part in operations to recover enriched uranium from Venezuela. Before the outbreak of conflict, they also accompanied Witkoff and Kushner to nuclear negotiations held in Oman.
Sources said the meeting focused mainly on two issues: first, how to deal with Iran’s enriched uranium in the future; and second, if an agreement is reached, how to monitor and limit Iran’s subsequent uranium enrichment activities.
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Trump: Iran will not have nuclear weapons; oil shock less severe than expected
Meanwhile, on Friday, June 5, Trump told reporters before departing the White House for Wisconsin that U.S.–Iran contacts had been a major success.
According to Fox News, Trump said: “We’re having great success with Iran,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House for Wisconsin. “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They’re in no position to have a nuclear weapon.”
Addressing market concerns that escalating tensions in the Middle East could cause oil prices to surge, Trump expressed optimism.
He said: “People thought it was going to be a lot worse,” Trump said. “Today I looked at $96 a barrel. People thought that was going to be $300 a barrel.”
Trump also emphasized that the United States has abundant energy resources and alternatives.
He said: “We have more oil, gas, coal, and everything else than any other country on the planet.”
US Central Command chief visits Middle East, meets allied leaders
In diplomatic and military developments, the United States is also simultaneously strengthening coordination with its Middle Eastern allies.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday that its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, recently visited the Middle East, where he met with senior officials from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.
CENTCOM stated that Cooper also met with deployed U.S. troops, recognized outstanding service members, and presided over a leadership transition ceremony for U.S. Army Central Command.
Since the launch of “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran on Feb. 28, CENTCOM has remained the core coordination body for U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
