US President Donald Trump made Iran a final offer for a deal which Iran refused in June, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday citing officials, prompting his authorization of a plan to attack its nuclear program.
The Trump administration proposal to Iran dated June 15 demanded Tehran end support for armed allies in the region including Hamas and Hezbollah along with “replacing” the Fordow nuclear site and “any other functioning facility” with sites which do not allow uranium enrichment.
According to the text quoted by the Washington Post, the United States in return would lift “ALL sanctions placed on Iran."
Shortly after it was conveyed via Qatari mediators, the proposed deal was rejected by Tehran, and Washington authorized the attacks which would come the following month, the Post reported citing a senior diplomat involved in the process.
The United States held five rounds of negotiations with Iran over its disputed nuclear program earlier this year, for which Trump set a 60-day deadline.
Trump accused Iran of dragging out the talks while Tehran said Washington's demands were unreasonable and undermined their sovereignty.
When no agreement was reached by the 61st day on June 13, Israel launched a surprise military offensive followed by US strikes on June 22 targeting key nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.
Trump said the attacks "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, in an assertion disputed by Tehran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapons. Tehran has said war damage means no enrichment is ongoing but the standoff over its nuclear ambitions persists.
