Axios: Trump has given Iran a two-month deadline for a new nuclear agreement in his letter

An American official and two sources familiar with the content of the letter from the U.S. President to Iran say that Donald Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to reach a new nuclear agreement with Washington. Axios reported on Wednesday, March 20, that it is still unclear whether this two-month deadline starts from the time the letter was delivered or from the start of negotiations. The report adds: "However, if Iran rejects this proposal and does not enter negotiations, the likelihood of U.S. or Israeli military action against Iran's nuclear facilities will significantly increase." Iran's nuclear program has advanced over the past four years and is now closer than ever to the capacity needed to produce nuclear weapons. According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran's 60% enriched uranium reserves, if enriched to 90%, would be sufficient to build six nuclear bombs. Iran has always claimed that it is not seeking to build nuclear weapons. Two weeks ago, Donald Trump announced in an interview with Fox News that he had sent a letter to Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, proposing direct negotiations. The next day, Mr. Trump stated that the U.S. had reached the "final moments" regarding Iran. He added, "We cannot allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Something will happen soon. I would prefer a peaceful agreement, but the other option will also solve this problem." Waltz: Iran must abandon all nuclear dimensions; all options are on the table. This letter was delivered by Steve Wittekoff, Trump's special envoy, to Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi. The next day, Anwar Gargash, the UAE envoy, traveled to Tehran and delivered the letter to Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister. According to sources, Trump's letter to Khamenei had a "harsh tone." On one hand, a proposal for negotiations for a new nuclear agreement was presented, but on the other hand, there were warnings about the consequences of rejecting this proposal and continuing Iran's nuclear program. Two sources cited by Axios confirmed that "Trump emphasized in this letter that he does not want endless and fruitless negotiations and has set a two-month timeframe for reaching an agreement." Before sending the letter to Iran, the White House informed several of America's allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, about its content. According to Axios, the White House has refrained from commenting on this matter, and Iran's mission to the United Nations has not responded to requests for comment. Ali Khamenei last week called Trump's letter and his proposal for negotiations a "deception" and said, "The aim of this proposal is only to create the impression that Iran is shying away from negotiations." However, a few hours later, Iran's mission to the United Nations issued a statement on social media, indicating that it did not reject the possibility of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also announced in a press conference earlier this week that Trump's letter is still under review and Iran's response is being drafted. Mike Waltz, Trump's National Security Advisor, said on Sunday that Iran must abandon "all elements of its nuclear program," including missiles, weapon manufacturing, and uranium enrichment, or it will face "a series of other consequences." He emphasized: "Iran has received a way out of this situation." Khamenei says negotiating with this U.S. government "tightens the sanctions knot." Trump: Iran must immediately stop sending equipment to the Houthis. On the other hand, the U.S. President on Wednesday, March 20, once again warned Iran about its support for the Houthi group in Yemen. He wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, "Reports have come in indicating that Iran has reduced the intensity of military equipment support and overall support for the Houthis, but is still sending large amounts of equipment. Iran must immediately stop sending this equipment. Let the Houthis fight for themselves. In any case, they will be defeated, but this way they will be defeated faster." Mr. Trump added, "Heavy losses have been inflicted on the wild Houthis, and you will see that this situation will increasingly worsen—this is not an equal battle and it never will be. They will be completely destroyed!" This message comes after "two senior Iranian officials" told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran had sent a verbal message to the Houthi representative in Tehran, asking the group to de-escalate tensions. The news agency did not provide further details about the identities of these two Iranian officials. The Houthis are among the groups supported by the Islamic Republic, and the U.S. President had threatened two days prior that Iran would be held responsible for any future attacks by the Houthis. Mr. Trump warned of "severe" consequences for Iran due to this support. He described the Houthi group in Yemen as "created" by Iran and stated that any potential retaliatory attacks by them in response to recent U.S. military actions would be met with "great force." The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the Houthis, who have recently been placed back on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, as part of the "resistance axis" that includes its proxy groups in the region. The Houthis have conducted over 100 attacks on ships since the outbreak of the war between Israel and the extremist group Hamas in late 2023, claiming that these actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. These attacks have disrupted global trade and have led the U.S. military into an expensive campaign to intercept missiles. Despite reports of Iran asking the Houthis to de-escalate tensions, Jamal Amer, the foreign minister of the Houthi group, told Reuters on Monday, "Now we see that Yemen is at war with the United States, and this means we have the right to defend ourselves with all our might, so escalation of conflicts is likely." Trump says Iran is responsible for the next Houthi attacks; Tehran's response. The United States, in airstrikes conducted on Tuesday night, targeted sites across Yemen, including the Saada province, which Yemeni sources say is a long-standing hideout for Houthi leaders, and the port city of Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea. Al-Masirah TV, affiliated with the Houthis, reported that over 10 strikes were carried out in various locations, including the Al-Safra area in Saada. According to Yemeni sources, this area contains weapons depots and training bases and is considered one of the most important and heavily fortified military bases of the group. These attacks, which were in response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, are considered the largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Donald Trump took office in January. The Houthis, who have controlled much of Yemen over the past decade, announced last week that they would resume attacks on Israeli ships after several weeks of relative calm in the Red Sea. This group, led by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has become a force with thousands of militants and an advanced arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles. Yemeni sources say that following the U.S. airstrikes, the Houthis have moved their weapons from known bases and have created new bunkers and shelters to avoid being targeted. Reuters reports that with the escalation of U.S. attacks, Houthi leaders have resorted to hiding and have turned off their phones. The only senior Houthi official recently seen in public was Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, who appeared in a video two days ago while dressed in civilian clothes on a bus and then spoke in the Sab'een Square in Sana'a. In the latest development, Al-Masirah TV reported on Wednesday evening that Sana'a, the capital of Yemen controlled by the group, has been targeted by a new wave of U.S. airstrikes. Reuters also quoted three residents of the city as saying that these strikes targeted the Al-Jaraf area, which is near Sana'a airport. The U.S. has begun its airstrikes against Houthi positions supported by Iran since Saturday this week.