Fred Fleitz, former Chief of Staff at the U.S. National Security Council, stated on the 11th (local time) that following Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions, the U.S. should halt negotiations with Iran and instead impose strict conditions.

Appearing on Newsmax's "American Agenda," Fleitz criticized the recent stance taken by Iran regarding its nuclear program, asserting that the Iranian leadership has no intention of dismantling its nuclear facilities or ceasing uranium enrichment activities.

"What Iran is saying is a really big problem. They have absolutely no intention of shutting down or dismantling their nuclear facilities," he said.

"They are playing games with us on uranium enrichment. They don't intend to give up uranium enrichment... they don't intend to give up their nuclear weapons program," Fleitz stated.

He added that Iran's position leaves little room for constructive diplomacy and that the demands put forth by Tehran are unacceptable to President Donald Trump.

"Those are issues that are not even worth discussing with the president to begin with," he said.

He criticized the additional demands made by Iran during the negotiation process.

"They asked for preposterous things like reparations. They want us to recognize their sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz," he claimed.

Fleitz suggested that these proposals demonstrate that Iran is not engaging in diplomatic negotiations seriously.

“This was not a serious answer," he stated.

Fleitz has repeatedly argued that the Trump administration should abandon negotiations altogether and instead present Iran with conditions from a position of strength.

"It's time to stop negotiating with Iran. The president should dictate the terms," he said.

"If you stop war, we'll stop. If you don't stop war, we will utterly crush you," he added.

He insisted that Iran should not be allowed to impose additional conditions on the United States.

"None of those concessions, none of those conditions from Iran, are acceptable," Fleitz said, adding, "Iran has been decisively defeated in this war."

Fleitz is a national security expert and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI).

He previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the NSC in 2018, and spent approximately 25 years in public service related to national security, including roles as a CIA analyst and positions within the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), State Department, and the House Intelligence Committee.

He joined AFPI in January 2022 and recently gained attention for submitting an analytical report to former President Trump on ending the war in Ukraine, alongside General Keith Kellogg.

He has authored or edited seven to eight books on issues such as Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs and China's security threats, including "An America First Approach to U.S. National Security" (2024). His new book, "North Korea, Nuclear Brinkmanship, and the Oval Office," focusing on North Korea's nuclear issues, is scheduled for release on May 5, 2026.

Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief, NNP USA / Special Correspondent, NNP info@newsandpost.com