Washington, D.C., March 4 (ANI): Senior US administration officials have said that after three rounds of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme collapsed, Washington concluded that Tehran was “never serious about giving up its enrichment ambitions,” leading to the launch of Operation Epic Fury within days of the final meeting.
For weeks, American diplomats engaged with Iranian officials in an effort to reach a deal. Talks were held in Oman and Switzerland, where US representatives offered incentives, outlined red lines, and repeatedly sought progress. Ultimately, officials briefed President entity[“politician”,”Donald Trump”,”us president 45th and 47th”] that the negotiations had failed to produce meaningful commitments.
Speaking to reporters, including ANI, senior US officials described what they called a pattern of delay, threats, and “false pretences” by the Iranian side during discussions in Oman and Switzerland.
According to US officials, the first round began with what they described as “a threat dressed as a negotiation.” Iran’s Foreign Minister, entity[“politician”,”Abbas Araghchi”,”iranian foreign minister”], reportedly asserted that uranium enrichment was Iran’s “inalienable right.” He also stated that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent — approximately 460 kilograms — was sufficient material for eleven nuclear bombs and warned that the United States would have to “pay dearly” to retrieve it.
At one stage, Araghchi was said to have remarked that Iran would “never allow America to achieve through diplomacy what it couldn’t achieve militarily,” a comment he later sought to retract. One US official described it as a revealing indication of Tehran’s stance.
Ahead of the second round, Washington requested that Tehran submit a written draft proposal within five to six days. While Iran reportedly agreed, US officials said no document was delivered. “We have an aircraft carrier out there that they’re complaining about, a second one on the way — and we can’t get a draft agreement out of them,” one official said, questioning Iran’s intentions.
During the third round in Switzerland, Iran presented a five-to-seven-page proposal described as a “needs-based agreement,” linking enrichment levels to projected civilian requirements. However, US officials said they were not permitted to retain the document for detailed analysis and described it as containing significant gaps.
A central dispute involved Iran’s Tehran Research Reactor, which Tehran maintains is used for peaceful medical isotope production. The proposal sought to justify enrichment up to 20 percent at the facility — exceeding the 3.67 percent cap established under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Working alongside entity[“people”,”Rafael Grossi”,”iaea director general”], Director General of the entity[“organization”,”International Atomic Energy Agency”,”un nuclear watchdog”], US officials said assessments indicated the reactor already possessed seven to eight years’ worth of unused fuel and that no significant medical isotope production was taking place.
In what officials termed a “free fuel test,” the United States offered to supply Iran with unlimited nuclear fuel at no cost. According to US officials, Iran rejected the offer, describing it as an affront to national dignity.
US representatives also alleged that even as negotiations continued, Iran was relocating nuclear and ballistic assets underground, including into newly constructed facilities designed to withstand bunker-buster strikes.
Following the Switzerland talks, negotiators reportedly informed President Trump that while a deal resembling the 2015 accord might be possible, it would not resolve core concerns about Iran’s enrichment capabilities. Officials said they advised that an “Obama-style deal” might be achievable but would not eliminate the foundational elements required for a nuclear weapon.
Military operations were launched shortly thereafter.
US officials maintained that diplomacy remains possible if Iran fundamentally changes course, including abandoning enrichment and severing ties with proxy groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. “The door will be wide open,” one official said, adding that Washington believes Tehran had no intention of relinquishing the building blocks of a nuclear weapon.
On February 28, the United States and Israel conducted coordinated airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities, targeting military command centers, air-defense systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure. The strikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader entity[“politician”,”Ali Khamenei”,”iranian supreme leader”] and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.
In response, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in West Asia and raising concerns for civilians and expatriates. (ANI)
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