Trump says US will secure Iran’s enriched uranium with or without a deal
President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared to work alongside Iran to retrieve and destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium if a
President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared to work alongside Iran to retrieve and destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium if a peace agreement is reached to end the three-month-old conflict between the two countries. Speaking to NBC News, Trump said the US would oversee the process directly. “If we make a deal that now we’re friendly, we’ll all go together. It’ll be our equipment. We’ll take it out and destroy it, whether it’s on-site or whether we take it off-site,” Trump was quoted as saying. Trump added that if negotiations fail, the US would further weaken Iran militarily before securing the material independently. “And we will go with them, or without them. But we won’t have people shooting at us,” Trump said. “Now, if we don’t make a deal, then we’re going to take them out militarily very harshly.” Space Force surveillance capabilities Trump also highlighted US surveillance capabilities, claiming that American space-based technology can closely monitor Iranian nuclear sites. “We have cameras on it, all over it. If anybody walked there, I would be able to read your first name on your lapel,” Trump told the news outlet.
He credited the capability to the US Space Force, describing it as “pretty amazing technology.” Nuclear deal negotiations near completion According to Trump, Washington and Tehran are “very close” to reaching an agreement, though he continues to push for stronger restrictions. The President said Iran has already accepted language prohibiting the development of nuclear weapons, but he wants additional wording that would also ban Iran from purchasing or otherwise acquiring nuclear weapons. “They don’t have the right to develop or purchase, acquire or buy,” Trump said. He acknowledged that Iranian negotiators initially resisted the proposal but later appeared to accept it. Comments on Iran’s new leadership Trump described Iran’s new leadership as more pragmatic following the deaths of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials during the conflict. According to Trump, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, now plays a role in approving any agreement and has been involved in discussions surrounding a potential deal. “Younger. I think more rational,” Trump said when comparing Mojtaba Khamenei to his father. Trump also claimed that the younger Khamenei has suffered serious injuries during the conflict but declined to provide details about his whereabouts.
Troops to remain in the region Despite a temporary ceasefire, Trump said approximately 50,000 US troops deployed in the region will remain in place until negotiations are completed. “I think we’ll keep them there until such time as we have a completion,” he told NBC News. The President argued that maintaining the military presence provides leverage in negotiations and ensures regional stability. Also Read | Trump plans to redirect $24 bn in frozen Iranian assets as truce talks stall Criticism of previous Iran policy Trump again criticized the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, arguing that it provided Iran with financial benefits while failing to permanently eliminate nuclear risks. He said any future agreement would not immediately include the release of frozen Iranian assets. “That comes after,” Trump said. “If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking.” The President maintained that withdrawing from the Obama-era agreement during his first term was the correct decision and said current negotiations offer a better opportunity for a lasting arrangement. Iran’s military and economic situation Trump claimed US and Israeli operations have severely damaged Iran’s military capabilities.
The BriefWire