Trump Envoys Brief Nuclear Experts for Possible Iran Deal

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump's top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Tennessee Thursday to brief a team of specialized nuclear technicians who could play a central role in any future agreement with Iran, as diplomatic negotiations enter what officials describe as a critical final stretch, media reported Friday.

The visit to Oak Ridge — home to the United States' foremost specialists in uranium processing and centrifuge technology — signals that the White House is moving beyond preliminary diplomacy and into concrete preparation for a potential deal. A team of roughly 100 experts has been assembled to provide technical support should a preliminary agreement be reached.

"This meeting in Oak Ridge doesn't mean that a deal is going to happen, but it is a sign that the negotiations are in a very serious phase and that there is a good chance to get it done, and we want to be prepared," one U.S. official said of the Thursday meeting.

At the heart of the diplomatic push is a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran, designed to formally end the war and provide a framework for detailed nuclear negotiations. According to Axios, the two sides last week reached tentative agreement on the terms of a 60-day MOU covering a ceasefire extension, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian oil sales, and preliminary parameters for Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and future enrichment limits.

However, several sticking points remain. President Trump has reportedly requested two revisions to the draft, while Iran has also proposed amendments of its own. Chief among the unresolved disputes is the timeline for down-blending Iran's enriched uranium — Washington is pushing for a 60-day deadline while Tehran is holding out for 90. The two sides are also deadlocked over the timing and scale of frozen Iranian funds to be released.

Should negotiations advance, the Oak Ridge expert team would be tasked with designing protocols for managing Iran's nuclear material, enforcing additional enrichment restrictions, and establishing verification mechanisms. Media noted that some members of the team recently assisted in the recovery of enriched uranium from Venezuela, which was transferred to South Carolina for processing last month.

A final agreement, officials cautioned, remains far from certain.

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