President Donald Trump and his administration challenge Joe Biden’s handling of Iran, setting off a new round of fierce debate in Washington. Trump’s latest remarks have both his critics and supporters talking as he weighs in on a controversial report about the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the Daily Mail, President Trump has flatly denied that any new U.S. nuclear deal with Iran would permit the regime to enrich uranium, even at low levels. The president’s sharp rebuke came after Axios reported a proposal allegedly allowing some enrichment for a limited time, sparking immediate backlash from both sides of the political aisle.
As the story continues to unfold, Trump’s pointed criticism of Biden and his insistence on a tough approach toward Iran have placed American foreign policy in the spotlight. Questions remain about the details of the deal, the intentions of Iran, and the true stance of the White House as negotiations move forward.
President Trump wasted no time in pinning the blame on Joe Biden for what he called America’s “Iran woes,” reviving his familiar criticism of the Democrat’s leadership. Trump used the nickname “autopen” for Biden, mocking him for allegedly being disengaged and letting others sign off on major decisions, a jab that has become a staple of Trump’s rhetoric.
Trump’s remarks came after Axios published reports claiming a “secret” U.S. proposal would allow Iran to enrich uranium to low levels for an undefined period. This would mark a significant shift from Trump’s own hardline position after he withdrew from President Obama’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Notably, the White House did not immediately dispute the Axios report, leaving room for speculation about whether the administration’s public statements match ongoing negotiations. Publicly, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have insisted any deal would bar Iran from enrichment, but critics remain unconvinced.
Details from the reported proposal reveal a complex approach to curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions while allowing for some domestic enrichment under tight restrictions. The proposal, presented by Envoy Witkoff, would reportedly prohibit Iran from constructing new enrichment facilities and require dismantling “critical infrastructure” used for uranium conversion and processing.
Iran’s research and development of advanced centrifuges would have to stop, with above-ground facilities limited to producing fuel for civilian nuclear reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight. Iran would also need to reduce its enrichment concentration to 3 percent upon signing, a level far below weapons-grade but still contentious among critics.
Sanctions relief would only follow if Iran demonstrated “real commitment” to compliance, both to the U.S. and the IAEA. Still, even the possibility of limited enrichment has triggered alarm for some American allies, particularly Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long demanded the strictest possible terms on any nuclear agreement with Tehran.
The Trump administration has maintained that any deal with Iran will include robust safeguards to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios the president’s position was unambiguous: Iran must never be allowed to build a bomb.
“President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it.”
A White House official echoed this view in an email to the Daily Mail, defending the administration’s negotiating stance. “President Trump is speaking the cold, hard truth,” the official said. “The terms we gave Iran were very tough and would make it impossible for them to ever obtain a nuclear bomb.”
Despite the administration’s assurances, critics argue the deal’s reported terms are a departure from Trump’s original “maximum pressure” policy, which aimed to deny Iran any path to enrichment. Some see the willingness to allow even minimal enrichment as an unnecessary concession that could embolden Iran and jeopardize regional security.
Meanwhile, Biden's allies contend that little was achieved during Trump’s first term after the U.S. exited the Obama-era deal in 2018. They blame Trump for weakening America’s leverage and creating a diplomatic vacuum that made it harder to rein in Iran’s nuclear advances.
Tensions have only escalated since the U.S. targeted and killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, with Iran allegedly plotting assassinations against Trump and his former administration officials. As new talks proceed under Witkoff’s leadership, the administration faces pressure from both hawks and doves to prove its approach will deliver real results without handing Tehran unnecessary advantages.
