Washington/Tehran, February 22, 2026: United States envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that President Donald Trump is questioning why Iran has not “capitulated” despite Washington’s military build-up aimed at pressuring Tehran into a nuclear deal.
The comments came as the United States and Iran resumed Oman-mediated talks in Geneva this week, seeking to avert the prospect of military confrontation. The talks follow the deployment of two US aircraft carriers, along with fighter jets and advanced weaponry, to reinforce Washington’s warnings.
In an interview on Fox News with Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, Witkoff said the president was “curious” about Iran’s stance after issuing stern warnings of serious consequences should talks fail.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’, because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated’, but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said.
“Under this pressure, with the amount of seapower and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’?”
Witkoff also confirmed that he had met Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s last shah, at the direction of President Trump. Pahlavi, a long-time critic of Iran’s current leadership, has lived in exile since before the 1979 revolution that ended the monarchy.
“I think he’s strong for his country and cares about his country,” Witkoff said, adding that US policy would ultimately be guided by President Trump.
Last week, Pahlavi told a gathering in Munich that he was prepared to lead Iran toward a “secular democratic future,” following Trump’s remarks that regime change could be beneficial for the country.
Witkoff’s remarks followed comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said a draft proposal for an agreement with Washington would be ready within days. Trump said on Thursday that Iran had a maximum of 15 days to strike a deal, starting with concerns over its nuclear programme.
As negotiations continued, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier this week that Trump would not succeed in destroying the Islamic Republic.
Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran denies, insisting that its nuclear activities are strictly for civilian purposes and that it retains the right to uranium enrichment. Iran, meanwhile, is seeking relief from sweeping US-led sanctions, which have severely strained its economy and contributed to waves of anti-government protests in recent months.
