In a remarkable revelation just hours before President Donald Trump authorized military strikes against Iran, Omani Foreign Minister Albusaidi appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to declare that a comprehensive nuclear agreement was imminent. The high-level diplomat, serving as mediator in recent U.S.-Iran negotiations, disclosed that Tehran had committed to unprecedented concessions—including zero stockpiling of nuclear material—that would have effectively prevented weaponization capabilities.
Albusaidi emphasized the breakthrough nature of these commitments, stating, “This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less irrelevant because now we are talking about zero stockpiling. If you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb.” The proposed deal included full verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency, going beyond the parameters of the 2015 Obama-era agreement that Trump had previously abandoned.
The timing of this disclosure proves particularly significant given that additional talks were scheduled for the following week. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft noted that the Omani FM’s unprecedented public revelation suggested negotiators believed Trump was preparing to choose military action despite diplomatic progress. “The American people should know that peace was within reach when Trump instead opted for war,” Parsi concluded.
This development occurred against a backdrop of limited public support for military engagement with Iran, with only 21% of Americans supporting offensive action under current circumstances according to recent surveys. The strikes therefore represent a deliberate escalation despite viable diplomatic alternatives being actively negotiated through neutral intermediaries.