As one Iranian Telegram channel put it: “Once again the US attacked while Iran was pursuing diplomacy. The deal would be far better than the 2015 agreement which Trump left in 2018, he insisted. He claimed Iran had agreed to zero stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, the down-blending of its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium inside Iran, and full verification access for the International Atomic Energy Agency. Indeed Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, hinted at what the president wanted when he said Trump was surprised Iran had not yet capitulated. In justifying the attack, Trump did not delve into the progress of the talks, or the gaps that existed between the two sides.

Source: The Guardian February 28, 2026 17:02 UTC