Scoop: U.S. nuclear deal offer allows Iran to enrich uranium

The intrigue: Iran has consistently said it won't sign any deal that bans enrichment for civilian purposes — a red line that is irreconcilable with the U.S. public posture.

• But the proposal described to Axios by two sources with direct knowledge — one of whom provided a point-by-point breakdown — would seem to offer a clearer path to a deal.
• By making this offer, the Trump administration is risking backlash from its allies on the Hill and in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and dozens of Republican senators have pushed the administration to maintain red lines on zero nuclear enrichment and the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program.

What they're saying: The White House did not deny any of the details of the proposal described to Axios.

• "President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb. Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it's in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the Administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Breaking it down: The proposal Witkoff submitted on Saturday describes "preliminary ideas" to be discussed in the next round of talks.

• Under the proposal, Iran would not be allowed to build any new enrichment facilities and must "dismantle critical infrastructure for conversion and processing of uranium."
• The proposal also states that Iran would have to halt new research and development on centrifuges.

Zoom in: According to the proposal, the nuclear deal will focus on creating a regional enrichment consortium that meets several conditions:

• Iran won't be allowed to develop domestic enrichment capabilities beyond those necessary for civilian purposes.
• After signing the agreement, Iran will have to temporarily reduce its enrichment concentration to 3%. This period will be agreed upon in negotiations.
• Iran's underground enrichment facilities will have to become "non-operational" for a period of time agreed by the parties.
• The enrichment activity in Iran's above-ground facilities will temporarily be limited to the level needed for nuclear reactor fuel according to International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines.

• According to the proposal, the agreement will establish "strong system for monitoring and verification" including immediate approval of the IAEA's additional protocol.

The proposal says sanctions relief will be granted only after Iran "demonstrates real commitment" to the satisfaction of the U.S. and IAEA.

The other side: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that the U.S. side had so far not provided sufficient assurances in terms of when and how sanctions would be lifted.

• Baghaei said Tehran was still reviewing the U.S. proposal, and pushed back somewhat on the U.S. claim its offer was "acceptable" to Iran.

Friction point: The new U.S. proposal is likely to alarm Netanyahu and his aides, who have been lobbying their U.S. counterparts hard to accept only the most restrictive possible deal with Iran.

• President Trump cautioned Netanyahu not to do anything that would harm the negotiations, as Axios reported.
• Netanyahu advocated military action against Iran's nuclear facilities and has been preparing to strike swiftly if the talks collapse.
• U.S. officials are concerned he might even make his move without a green light from Trump.

Flashback: The U.S. offer is similar in many key respects to the 2015 Iran deal, though it differs in some aspects. Trump withdrew from the Obama-era deal in 2018.

What's next: A sixth round of nuclear talks is expected to be scheduled in the coming days.