President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons as the White House presses Tehran to surrender enriched uranium that U.S. officials say remains unaccounted for.
“Look, and this is very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon because as tough as they are, we want to keep them alive,” Trump said in the Oval Office during a ceremony promoting a UFC event at the White House. His comments aired live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 platform.
“We want to keep all of you alive,” he said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t. And they’ve agreed to that, among other things.”
Trump later underscored the administration’s focus on Iran’s nuclear material, telling reporters as he left a White House event that the U.S. intends to take possession of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. According to U.S. officials, Iran has yet to hand over more than 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium that could potentially be further refined for weapons use.
“We’re going to get it,” Trump said.
The enriched uranium issue has emerged as one of the central sticking points in negotiations as the administration seeks a formal agreement ending more than two months of fighting that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s political leadership and military infrastructure.
The parties also remain divided over the future of Iran’s nuclear program and security in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that before the conflict carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas shipments.
Axios reported that the White House is awaiting Iran’s response to a one-page memorandum of understanding designed to end the conflict and establish a framework for broader nuclear talks.
Reuters separately reported that Iran said it was reviewing a U.S. peace proposal. Reuters, citing a Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation effort, reported that negotiators were nearing agreement on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict.
According to Reuters, the proposal would open discussions on restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, easing U.S. sanctions on Iran, and imposing restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities.
It remains unclear how the latest proposal differs from a 14-point plan Tehran floated last week, and Iran has not formally responded to the newest U.S. offer.
Trump suggested Wednesday that Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure had been severely weakened by the strikes.
“Now, it’s only a question of, look, if we left right now Iran, it would take them 20 years to rebuild,” Trump said. “You would call that we’re in good shape, right? We’re in good shape. And now we’re doing well. Now we have to get what we have to get. If we don’t do that, we’ll have to go a big step further.”
“But with that being said, they want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours. And it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal.”
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