Shafaq News– Florida

Iran can avoid confrontation and rejoin the international community if it meets four conditions, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday.

Speaking during an onstage interview at the Israeli-American Council conference in Hollywood, Florida, Witkoff said he hopes the standoff with Iran can be resolved diplomatically and that Washington’s demands are intended as a path back to the global community, not punishment.

Whether a US strike remains possible, Witkoff said he was “really hoping” for a diplomatic outcome, outlining four issues the United States wants addressed: uranium enrichment, Iran’s missile stockpile, the nuclear materials it holds, and Tehran’s regional proxies.

“If Iran wants to return to the international community, we can solve these four issues diplomatically, and that would be an excellent solution,” he said, adding that the alternative would be “a bad solution.”

Read more: Escalation without Collapse: Washington’s options against Tehran

Witkoff also addressed the Iranian public directly, praising protesters as “brave” and “resilient,” and saying they deserve a future free from isolation. He suggested Iran’s leadership may be more willing to compromise given the country’s deepening economic strain.

The remarks came as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of “Israel’s involvement in supporting terrorists inside Iran, with a green light from the United States.” Tehran has repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating efforts to destabilize the country. Araghchi said earlier that the protests began peacefully and were constitutionally legitimate but turned violent after the “infiltration of armed groups,” portraying the unrest as a foreign-driven campaign against Iran’s sovereignty.

Protests in Iran erupted on December 28 after the rial collapsed to a record low of about 1.45 million to the US dollar, driving sharp increases in food prices and inflation before spreading nationwide. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 2,571 people have been killed so far, including 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 minors, and nine civilians not involved in demonstrations. Iranian officials have acknowledged an overall death toll of around 2,000.

Read more: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation