President Donald Trump has shared his plans to destroy Iran’s enriched uranium as he seeks to iron out a peace deal between Arab states and Israel.
Trump has long demanded that Iran cease operations of its nuclear program as part of any peace deal – and on Monday he revealed how exactly he seeks to get rid of the enriched uranium the country has already produced.
The country is said to have a stockpile of about 970 pounds of uranium enriched to about 60 percent, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
‘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, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,’ he posted on his Truth Social platform.
It is unclear what destroying the uranium may look like.
The president had previously said on Saturday that the US was close to reaching an agreement with Iran to end the war and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply traverses.
US officials said that a general statement from Iranian leaders that they will commit to giving up its nuclear stockpile is critical to that deal. Otherwise, negotiations will cease and the US will continue its bombing campaign, according to The New York Times.
President Donald Trump has revealed his plans to destroy Iran’s enriched uranium
Trump posted on Monday how exactly he seeks to get rid of the enriched uranium Iran has already produced
But Trump reportedly left the leaders of Arab countries stunned by saying he will only broker a peace deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if they normalize relations with Israel.
The most powerful leaders in the Middle East, including those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, joined the President on a conference call on Saturday to discuss progress toward ending the US-Iran war and reopening the vital oil passageway.
In return, Trump pressed the leaders to normalize ties with Israel, a demand aimed at nations that have opposed the Jewish state since its founding in 1948.
Arab leaders were so stunned by the demand that they refused to respond, remaining entirely silent on the call, according to Axios.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
