JAKARTA - President Donald Trump's approach to Iran's supreme authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regarding the possibility of a new nuclear deal is an attempt to avoid military action, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday.
"We don't need to solve everything militarily," Witkoff told Fox News.
"Our signal to Iran is let's sit down together and see if we can, through dialogue, through diplomacy, reach the right place. If we can, we are ready to do it. And if we can't, the alternative is not a good alternative," he explained.
Earlier, President Trump said earlier this month he had sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, warning "there are two ways to deal with Iran: militarily, or you make a deal."
Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the US's offer to negotiate as "fraud," saying negotiations with the Trump Administration would "enhanced ties of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran."
Last Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran would soon retaliate to "threats and opportunities" in the letter.
He warned on Sunday that negotiations with the US were unlikely unless Washington changed its pressure policy.
Speaking separately on CBS News, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the US was seeking a "full demolition" of Iran's nuclear program.
"Iran must stop its program in a way that can be seen throughout the world," he said.
"As President Trump said, this will end soon. All options are available and it is time for Iran to completely abandon its desire to own nuclear weapons," he added.
Tehran has long said the nuclear program was only for peaceful purposes.
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Last month, UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said time was running out to reach an agreement to control Iran's nuclear program as Tehran continued to accelerate its uranium enrichment to a close level of weapons.
While still opening up opportunities for a nuclear agreement with Tehran, President Trump has reimposed the "maximum pressure" campaign he implemented during his first term as president, including efforts to suppress the country's oil exports to zero.
It is known that Uncle Sam's country has issued four rounds of sanctions for Iran's oil sales since Trump returned to the White House on January 20.
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