US official says envoys felt Iranian counterproposal in nuclear talks was ‘bullshit,’ leading Trump to strike — report

Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff (L), Jared Kushner (C) and US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (R), as they observe flight operations aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea on February 7, 2026. (US Navy via AFP)
US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff (L), Jared Kushner (C) and US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (R), as they observe flight operations aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea on February 7, 2026. (US Navy via AFP)

US President Donald Trump decided on Friday to attack Iran after hearing from top US envoys that the latest Iranian counterproposal in the US-Iran nuclear talks was “bullshit” and intended only to buy Tehran time, a senior US official tells Channel 12.

Trump’s envoys for the nuclear talks, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, had conducted “serious negotiations” with the Iranians, hoping in earnest to reach a deal, but felt ultimately that the Iranians were not willing to compromise on US demands, according to the official.

After the latest round of talks in Geneva on Thursday, Kushner and Witkoff told US Vice President JD Vance over the phone that talks “aren’t going anywhere…we’re very disappointed.”

Vance then updated Trump during the president’s flight to Texas on Friday, leading him to ultimately decide on the strike, the official tells Channel 12.

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