The Trump administration delivered a formal ultimatum to Tehran on Friday, demanding that Iranian negotiators accept a comprehensive nuclear verification framework within 30 days or face renewed and expanded economic sanctions, according to senior U.S. officials briefed on the diplomatic exchanges. The move follows President Trump's public claim earlier this week that talks with Iran were yielding 'great' progress — a characterization that U.S. and European diplomats have quietly pushed back on in background briefings.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led informal back-channel communications with Iranian counterparts, delivered the terms through intermediaries in Oman, the Gulf state that has historically served as a quiet conduit between Washington and Tehran. Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement on Friday acknowledging ongoing 'indirect communications' but rejecting what it called 'preconditions designed to humiliate the Iranian nation.'

The friction centers on the scope of inspections that Iran would be required to accept. Washington is demanding access to undeclared military sites in addition to declared nuclear facilities — a condition that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously described as a 'red line.' European signatories to the 2015 JCPOA, including France and Germany, have urged restraint, warning that a public breakdown in talks could accelerate Iranian uranium enrichment activity.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch issued a statement Friday supporting the administration's harder line, saying Congress would back 'maximum pressure reimposed within days' if Tehran refused the verification terms. Democrats on the committee called the ultimatum 'reckless brinksmanship' that risked collapsing a nascent diplomatic opening. The development drew immediate attention in global energy markets, with oil prices rising modestly on concerns about potential Strait of Hormuz disruptions.

Analysts at the International Crisis Group noted that the public framing of a deadline is unusual and could be intended as domestic political signaling as much as genuine diplomacy. 'The Trump administration needs to show movement on Iran before the midterm cycle heats up,' said one Washington-based Iran policy expert. 'Whether Tehran reads this as serious or performative will determine the next 72 hours.'