U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Monday on Newsmax that any agreement reached with Iran must permanently prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
He also rejected criticism that recent U.S. military strikes failed to eliminate the country's nuclear capabilities.
Speaking on "Bianca Across the Nation," Whitaker outlined what he described as President Donald Trump's objectives as negotiations continue in Doha, Qatar, where U.S. and Iranian officials are working toward a deal over Tehran's nuclear program.
"First, we need to understand that President Trump has made very clear certain red lines," Whitaker said.
"He wants to ensure, first, that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. Second, make sure that the Strait of Hormuz stays and remains open and toll-free, and then, finally, [he] wants to make sure that this region — through the Iranian proxies in the Middle East — can be peaceful," he added.
Whitaker's comments came as the Trump administration faces questions over the effectiveness of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Some critics have argued the attacks did not fully destroy Iran's nuclear program and could let Tehran resume its weapons development eventually.
Whitaker dismissed those concerns.
"It's inconsistent with the facts," he said. "We know that we used some of our most sophisticated weapons to disable that program, to make sure that they can't make a nuclear weapon."
He said it was critical to act before Iran crossed the threshold of becoming a nuclear weapons state.
"Whether they were two weeks out or two years out from developing a nuclear weapon, once they crossed that threshold like North Korea did, then you no longer have any ability to contain that," Whitaker said.
He argued that Trump was unwilling to accept "a nuclear-capable Iran … together with a ballistic missile program," saying the president used "the most powerful military in the world to dramatically degrade" Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Whitaker also cited Vice President JD Vance's assessment that key components of Iran's nuclear program had been buried so deeply underground that "no one can access it anymore."
Still, Whitaker said diplomacy remains the administration's preferred path.
He described negotiations in Doha as "very complex," noting that a memorandum of understanding was only the first step and that technical experts and diplomats now face the difficult task of negotiating a final agreement.
"This is why we're negotiating this deal," he said. "There will be a lot of back and forth. That's the way these negotiations work."
Whitaker said Trump is seeking a peaceful resolution but will negotiate from what he described as a position of strength.
"Donald Trump is a peacemaker, but he's also a negotiator," Whitaker said. "He knows the deal he wants, and he's going to get that deal that's in the best interest of the American people."
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