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Scoop: Trump's Iran envoys quietly convene nuclear experts in Tennessee
Axios ^ | June 5, 2026 | Barak Ravid and Colin Demarest

Posted on 06/06/2026 8:03:20 AM PDT by Timber Rattler

President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to the national lab in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Thursday for consultations with a team of technical experts that could play a role in nuclear negotiations with Iran, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The White House is trying to reach a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to end the war and begin in-depth nuclear negotiations, and wants to have experts at the ready should those talks be launched.

(snip)

The intrigue: Axios was alerted on Thursday to the fact that Witkoff had made an unannounced trip to eastern Tennessee. Two U.S. officials later confirmed he and Kushner were visiting Energy Department facilities at Oak Ridge.

(snip)

Driving the news: Witkoff and Kushner agreed terms with their Iranian counterparts last week on a 60-day MOU to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allow Iran to sell oil and launch talks on Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and limitations on future enrichment.

(snip)

Zoom in: If the negotiations advance to the second phase, the team of experts that met with Witkoff and Kushner would have to develop a plan for the disposal of Iran's nuclear material, how to limit the enrichment program further, and how to verify compliance.

(Excerpt) Read more at axios.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Iran; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2026; 202606; 20260605; barakravid; colindemarest; incompetence; kushner; nuclear; oakridge; ornl; tennessee; uranium; witkoff
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Good to know that those two hacks have no idea about what they are doing with the Iranians' nuke program.

Do they even have Q-level security clearances?

1 posted on 06/06/2026 8:03:20 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
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To: Timber Rattler

Kushner finished his last year at the Naval Academy in the hospital, in traction.

It’s up to you, but you might consider cutting him a little slack.

/s


2 posted on 06/06/2026 8:13:23 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Timber Rattler

There’s only so much that the US can do. It’s a physically small amount of dangerous material hidden away in a fairly large country. Anything less than a peace-loving Iranian government is going to carry risks.

With a hostile Iranian government, financial incentives will have to be the main tool.

My suggestion:

A dollar or dollar’s worth of impounded Iranian funds shall be released per tanker barrel of Kuwaiti/Saudi/Qatar/UAE oil that freely sails out by Gulf tanker and passes a point in the Indian Ocean at least 300 miles from the northern tip of Oman prior to December 1, 2025 EST.

Iran to be able to load at Kharg & export one barrel for every four exported by Arab nations listed above that freely sails out by Gulf tanker and passes a point in the Indian Ocean at least 300 miles from the northern tip of Oman, provided Iran ceases enrichment, stops nuclear usefulness centrifuge work, terminates nuclear reactor construction, and submits to IAEA inspection, to be cut in half if not to IAEA satisfaction.

Other releases of impounded Iranian funds:

$4 million per quarter (by US IRS standards) per kilogram of U-235 in 15%+ enriched uranium turned over (440kg of 60% - $3.96 billion/year) to be released on IRS estimated tax due dates, give or take two US federal business days.

per top model centrifuge turned over
$10 million first 500
$5 million all others

per previous production quality model turned over
one-fifth the amounts

The amount for a centrifuge to be cut by 40% for every full 14 calendar days dating from the time of agreement of its not being turned over.

The amount for a centrifuge to be additionally cut by 50% if repairable but inoperable and by 80% if junk.

$50 million/quarter if no attacks from Lebanon
$20 million/quarter if no attacks from Gaza
$100 million/quarter if Israel is not attacked

US military aircraft to leave Gulf Arab states no later the third midnight local time after 100kg by U-235 of 15%+ enriched uranium turned over.

Turn over to be under IAEA supervision to the PRC, India, EU or IAEA and only counted once it leaves Iranian control and territory/airspace/waters.


3 posted on 06/06/2026 8:17:13 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Ask your Congressman to tax tariff refunds at 100% & > $300 to many insured vehicle owners 4 gas)
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To: Timber Rattler

The Israelis can take out Iran’s oil and fertilizer industries, and will, if necessary.


4 posted on 06/06/2026 8:18:39 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Ask your Congressman to tax tariff refunds at 100% & > $300 to many insured vehicle owners 4 gas)
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To: Timber Rattler

WIKI

Q clearance or Q access authorization is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance required to access Top Secret Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, and National Security Information, as well as Secret Restricted Data. Restricted Data (RD) is defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and covers nuclear weapons and related materials. The lower-level L clearance is sufficient for access to Secret Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) and National Security Information, as well as Confidential Restricted Data and Formerly Restricted Data. Access to Restricted Data is granted on a need-to-know basis to personnel with appropriate clearances.

A Q Clearance is equivalent to a U.S. Department of Defense Top Secret clearance.

The QAnon conspiracy theory is named such because the 4chan and 8chan posters, who in 2017 created the persona behind the conspiracy theory, claim to be an individual with Q level security clearance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_clearance


5 posted on 06/06/2026 8:21:47 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Ask your Congressman to tax tariff refunds at 100% & > $300 to many insured vehicle owners 4 gas)
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To: one guy in new jersey

Where did you get that? His bio on wiki doesn’t mention that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Kushner

Not to be interpreted that I am in any way anti-Kushner!


6 posted on 06/06/2026 8:25:38 AM PDT by Reily
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To: Brian Griffin

Yes they thought it was above TS because it had the scary word “nuclear” in it.


7 posted on 06/06/2026 8:28:31 AM PDT by Reily
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To: Timber Rattler

Could be they were at ORNL to strategize how to thwart terrorist nuclear or dirty bomb attacks in the USA.


8 posted on 06/06/2026 8:51:22 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom ( )
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To: Brian Griffin; SunkenCiv; Red Badger; PJ-Comix

Nonsense. Even a few pounds (tens of kilograms) of enriched uranium or refined plutonium can be readily recycled from nuclear bomb source material into nuclear power lant pellets sufficient for reactivity. And at very little cost compared to mining and refining raw tons of uranium ore.

Ukrainian nuclear bomb material was smuggled out of Ukraine and directly into US power plant fuel.

The material in Iran MUST BE highly purified, highly refined and highly enriched already or it could not be usable for their nuclear bomb sources. (Refined, purified, and enriched are different, and all three are essential. )


9 posted on 06/06/2026 9:00:44 AM PDT by Robert A Cook PE
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

No, they’re there because they have no clue about what they are negotiating about and are in deep over their heads.


10 posted on 06/06/2026 9:31:25 AM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." --George Washington)
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