WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday that Iran cannot have its enriched uranium, and the US will “probably destroy” it once it’s taken out of the country.
“We will get it. We don’t need it. We don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump did not say how he would destroy the radioactive element, which typically is stored with care after being used for energy production.
President Trump said he plans to “probably destroy” Iran’s enriched uranium if negotiations result in its relinquishment. Getty ImagesIran has so far refused to negotiate about giving up its stockpile of about 1,000 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium.
Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff said that the country’s reps boasted before the war that the stockpile was enough to make 11 nuclear bombs.
A statement attributed to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday directed negotiators not to budge on giving up the uranium.
Although Trump has claimed Iranian negotiators privately agreed at points to give up their “nuclear dust,” only to later backtrack, the Islamic Republic has denied it.
Iran has refused to consider giving up its stockpiles — including about 1,000 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium. APTrump thus far is maintaining a cease-fire that began on April 7, while threatening to resume strikes if talks sour.
“Look, we’re going to either make sure they don’t have a nuclear weapon, or we’re going to have to do something very drastic,” Trump said Thursday.
Tehran has issued peace proposals demanding to be treated as the conflict’s victor, including being granted reparations, sanctions relief, recognition of the nation’s ownership of the Strait of Hormuz, and removal of US troops from neighboring countries.
Trump has responded to the stalemate by blockading the other end of the strait — which carried 20% of the world’s oil before the war.
With Iran threatening and attacking tanker ships at one end, and the US Navy stopping any Iranian-linked ships at the other, traffic through Hormuz has slowed to a trickle.
It’s unclear what potential compromise might develop for the nuclear material, which has been Trump’s central war aim.
Earlier this week, Trump said he was “an hour away” from scrapping his six-week cease-fire and launching a blitz Tuesday before deciding to give peace a chance.
Vice President JD Vance revealed Tuesday that Iranian negotiators haven’t raised a proposal from the regime’s Russian ally, Vladimir Putin, to take possession of the material as a face-saving way to end to the war.
