Statement by Kelsey Davenport, Nonproliferation Policy Director
For Immediate Release: March 7, 2025
The Arms Control Association welcomes President Trump's direct outreach to Iran expressing his interest in a negotiated solution to concerns about Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities.
In an interview aired today, President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, that he is seeking to negotiate a deal to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. In recent weeks, Iranian officials have expressed their interest in such a dialogue, but to date, talks have not yet begun.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Trump told Maria Bartiromo in an interview aired Friday on Fox Business. “I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
Trump’s letter is an important step toward demonstrating that the U.S. is serious about a diplomatic resolution to concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, but the content and the context of the message matter.
Now is the time for the United States to lay out the objectives of an agreement and refrain from bellicose threats of possible military action. The window of opportunity for talks will not remain open for long. Iran’s advancing nuclear program poses an urgent proliferation risk.
Iran already has the knowledge necessary to build a nuclear explosive device—that knowledge cannot be bombed away. Any setback in Iran’s nuclear capabilities would be temporary and would likely lead Iran to rebuild its program and further harden its facilities against future attacks. Iran has also threatened that it would withdraw from the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the U.S. or other states reimpose international sanctions against their country, which could precipitate a crisis by the end of this year.
To avert such a crisis, Trump must maximize this opportunity to reach an effective, balanced nuclear nonproliferation deal with Iran that reduces its stockpiles of enriched uranium and its uranium enrichment operations, which can be used to produce weapons-grade nuclear material, and provides the information and access that the International Atomic Energy Agency deems is necessary to ensure that Iran’s nuclear activities are not being used for military purposes.
We also encourage the White House to identify who will serve as the president's envoy in these talks and to direct that person to promptly engage with Iranian counterparts, and to consult with European and Russian and Chinese partners, on practical diplomatic options.
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The Arms Control Association is an independent, membership-based organization dedicated to providing authoritative information and practical policy solutions to address the threats posed by the world's most dangerous weapons.