In the opening round of renewed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Muscat, Iranian officials proposed that the United States support the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, a move that would include pressuring Israel to dismantle its undeclared nuclear arsenal

The proposal, first reported by Iran Nuances, echoes long-standing Iranian and Egyptian calls for a regional disarmament framework first introduced at the United Nations in 1974. It would require Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it has never signed, and to submit to international inspections.

An Iranian official described Israel’s nuclear capability as “a serious threat to regional peace and stability” and argued that the U.S. cannot credibly pursue nonproliferation while shielding Israel’s weapons program.

Israel maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity but is widely believed to possess an arsenal of at least 80 to 90 nuclear warheads. It remains the only country in the Middle East not to sign the NPT.

The demand puts the Trump regime in a diplomatically difficult position. While the U.S. has publicly emphasized preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, it has consistently avoided commenting on Israel’s capabilities. Observers say this could complicate future rounds of talks.

While few analysts expect Washington to embrace Iran’s demand, it signals a shift in Iran’s negotiation strategy—linking its own compliance with international nuclear norms to broader regional disarmament.