US President Donald Trump, outlining his preferred options for disposing of Iran’s vast deposits of enriched uranium, said that Tehran should either hand it over to the US for destruction, or otherwise eliminate it under international supervision inside Iran, or another preferred location.
Taking to Truth Social on Monday, his comments came as negotiators from both sides are preparing for another round of high-stake talks in Qatar for preventing the regional war from reigniting any further.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He added that the process should be overseen by “the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent”, signalling Washington’s push for international verification as part of any future agreement.
Washington continues to demand that the Islamic Republic dismantle its nuclear programme, while Iranian officials have called it their ‘sovereign right’, and denied the Western claims that they seek nuclear weapons.
Despite Trump’s comments, Tehran indicated that the immediate focus of negotiations remains ending the conflict itself rather than resolving the nuclear issue in detail.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday: “At this stage, we are not discussing nuclear issues.”
Instead, talks in Doha are expected to centre on extending the current truce, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing maritime restrictions that have crippled regional shipping since the war erupted earlier this year.
According to reports from CBS News, Axios and Al Arabiya, Iran has agreed “in-principle” to eventually dispose of its enriched uranium stockpile, though the details remain unresolved.
Draft proposals reportedly include a 60-day negotiating period during which both sides would continue discussions over the future of the uranium reserves.
The current ceasefire, first announced on April 8, could also be extended by another 60 days under the emerging framework.
Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned ahead of the talks that Tehran would “not compromise on its rights” as a sovereign nation.
Iranian officials have also continued accusing Washington of destroying trust after launching airstrikes on Iranian targets shortly after negotiations initially began earlier this year.
