Washington: As United States and Iran continue ceasefire negotiations, Donald Trump said Iran’s enriched uranium, referred to as “Nuclear dust,” will either be handed over to the United States for destruction or destroyed at another agreed location.
Trump stated that the process would happen in “conjunction and collaboration” with Iran, indicating a possible softening in Tehran’s stance as negotiations move forward.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The statement also appeared to support a report by The New York Times, which said Iran had agreed in principle to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of a US-led framework aimed at reducing regional tensions.
Earlier, CNN had reported that disagreements over “language on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions” had delayed efforts to finalise a broader agreement between Tehran and Washington.
According to CNN, a US official described the presence of an Iranian delegation in Qatar, including senior negotiators, as a positive sign and acknowledged Qatar’s role in facilitating dialogue between the two sides.
Trump also stressed that any final agreement must meet his expectations. “The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal,” he posted on Truth Social.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said progress had been made, but cautioned that changing US positions continue to complicate negotiations.
