Iran Said It Possesses Enough Uranium For 11 Nukes: Report
U.S. negotiations with Iran broke down after Tehran’s negotiators openly stated their intention to enrich uranium to levels suitable for producing nuclear weapons, according to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
Witkoff recounted that the American delegation was taken aback by this declaration, causing him and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to exchange uneasy glances as the Iranian officials clarified their stance.
“The Iranians made it clear from the start that they believe they have an undeniable right to enrich all the uranium they possess,” Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News. “That was how they opened the talks.”
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U.S. negotiators immediately pushed back, with Witkoff stating that Washington believed it had the right to completely shut down Iran’s enrichment activities. Instead of backing down, Iranian officials reinforced their position.
“Jared and I just looked at each other and thought, ‘Is this really happening?’” Witkoff said.
The breakdown became inevitable when Tehran rejected a U.S. proposal that would have frozen enrichment for a decade. Under the plan, the United States offered to supply Iran with nuclear fuel at its expense.
“That was the moment we understood they had no intention of doing anything other than enriching uranium for nuclear weapons,” Witkoff said.
Iranian negotiators acknowledged the size of their nuclear stockpile during the discussions, Witkoff said. Two officials confirmed that they possessed approximately 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent.
Witkoff noted that the Iranians acknowledged the potential conversion of this material into as many as 11 nuclear bombs.
“They weren’t hiding it. They were proud,” he said, noting further that Iranian negotiators also boasted about being able to evade international monitoring systems as the country was enlarging its stockpile.
Tensions escalated sharply during a meeting last Thursday in Geneva when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shouted after the American delegation reiterated its demand for a ten-year halt to enrichment, according to NBC News.
Witkoff said he responded calmly to the outburst. “If you prefer, I can leave,” he told Araghchi.
Following the collapse of the talks, the U.S. team provided President Trump with an update on the situation. A senior administration official indicated that the president was taken aback by the Iranian delegation’s candid insistence on enrichment. Witkoff noted that the negotiations demonstrated Tehran’s lack of interest in reaching a meaningful compromise.
“President Trump sent us to see if Iran was serious,” he said. “But by the second meeting, it was clear a deal was impossible. We came to the third meeting in good faith, and they wanted us to project optimism. There was nothing optimistic about it.”
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is doubling down on his message that there is “no chance” the United States will become entangled in a prolonged Middle East war if President Donald Trump authorizes additional military action against Iran.
Speaking aboard Air Force Two on Thursday, Vance stressed that the White House is not contemplating a protracted “nation-building” scenario in Iran with thousands of U.S. military “boots on the ground.”
“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight—there is no chance that will happen,” Vance told The Washington Post.
The United States has long maintained that enrichment inside Iran presents a potential pathway to nuclear weapons capability and has stated unequivocally that Tehran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
On social media following an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Monday, Vance reiterated the administration’s position.
“President Trump will not get the United States into a years-long conflict with no clear objective,” Vance wrote. “Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. That is the goal of this operation, and President Trump will see it through to completion.”
Thune Breaks With Trump, Backs Cornyn After Paxton Endorsement
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he will continue supporting Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle.
Speaking to reporters following Trump’s endorsement announcement, Thune praised Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and an “effective senator” for Texas, signaling a rare split between Senate Republican leadership and the president.
“Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said.
“None of us can control what the president does. That doesn’t change the way I feel. I will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election,” Thune added.
The comments came just hours after Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Truth Social, delivering a major boost to the Texas attorney general as he seeks to unseat Cornyn in the Republican runoff election.
In his endorsement, Trump criticized Cornyn for insufficient loyalty during politically difficult periods of his presidency.
“Ken Paxton has been a warrior for Texas values and for our America First agenda,” Trump wrote. He added that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The endorsement immediately intensified an already bitter and nationally significant Republican primary battle that has exposed growing tensions inside the GOP between establishment Senate Republicans and Trump-aligned populists.
Early voting in the runoff began Monday and continues through Friday, with Election Day set for May 26.
Despite the internal divisions, Thune expressed confidence Republicans would retain control of the Senate in November.
“I’m very confident we’ll hang on — and maybe even expand the majority of the United States Senate,” Thune said.
Republicans currently hold a six-seat Senate majority. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to retake control of the chamber.
Several races, including contests in Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, are currently viewed as highly competitive.
The Texas race has become particularly important because Democrats believe a bruising Republican runoff could weaken the eventual GOP nominee heading into the general election against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Recent polling has suggested an unusually competitive general election environment in Texas. One survey released Monday reportedly showed both Cornyn and Paxton running roughly even with Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
That possibility has alarmed some Republicans, particularly moderates concerned that Paxton’s legal controversies and polarizing political image could jeopardize a seat long considered safely Republican.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski openly criticized Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, warning it could backfire politically.
“I was supremely disappointed,” Murkowski said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
Paxton has remained a dominant figure among Texas conservatives despite years of legal and political controversies, including securities fraud charges that were later resolved and an impeachment battle in the Texas legislature from which he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate.
Trump allies have framed the race as a test of loyalty to the president and the broader America First movement, while Cornyn supporters argue the longtime senator offers stability, fundraising strength, and legislative experience critical for maintaining Republican control of the Senate.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has longstanding ties to GOP leadership and donor networks in Washington. But critics on the right have increasingly portrayed him as part of the party establishment out of step with the Republican base.
Paxton has sought to capitalize on that frustration, presenting himself as a fighter aligned more closely with Trump’s populist agenda on immigration, election integrity, and federal power.
The runoff has also become a broader proxy battle over the future direction of Senate Republicans after Trump’s sweeping victories reshaped the party.
