"We'll get it and destroy it': Trump's fresh barb after Mojtaba Khamenei vows not to hand over Iran's uranium
Donald Trump has affirmed that the US will take Iran's uranium stockpile to bar it from having a nuclear weapon in response to Mojtaba Khamenei's remarks that Tehran will not send their nuclear-weapons-capabale uranium abroad. This comes amid deadlock over the deal to end the West Asia conflict.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday hardened his stance on Iran's uranium stockpile, saying Washington would take control of the material as part of any future peace agreement with Tehran.
Last week, Trump had indicated he might accept the possibility that nearly 970 pounds of highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried beneath Iranian nuclear facilities targeted in previous US strikes, could remain trapped underground.
However, speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump adopted a firmer tone and said the United States would not allow Iran to retain the uranium.
"We will get it. We don’t need it. We don’t want it," Trump said.
"We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it," he added.
Trump also said negotiations with Iran were continuing under the ongoing truce process, while reiterating that Tehran would never be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.
The renewed standoff comes after reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei refused to allow the country’s near weapons-grade uranium to be sent abroad, a key demand repeatedly pushed by Washington during the talks.
US-Iran talks
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he had postponed planned strikes on Iran that were scheduled for Tuesday after receiving requests from several Arab nations, including Qatar and the UAE.
According to an Axios report citing sources, Qatar and Pakistan prepared a revised peace memorandum with contributions from other regional mediators in an effort to narrow the differences between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has confirmed that it is reviewing the updated proposal, though there has been no indication so far that Tehran is willing to soften its position.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that negotiations were continuing “based on Iran’s 14-point proposal” and added that Pakistan’s interior minister was currently in Tehran to assist with mediation efforts.
Iran maintains that it has control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil and natural gas shipping route, which it has closed. In response, the US has deployed a naval blockade around the strait, causing energy supply disruptions across the world.
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