WASHINGTON, May 26: US President Donald Trump on Monday indicated flexibility over the handling of Iran’s enriched uranium, saying the material could be destroyed under international supervision either within Iran or at another mutually agreed location.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the uranium stockpile could be transferred to the United States for disposal, though he stressed that his preferred option would be destruction “in place” or at another acceptable site in coordination with Iran and under the observation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“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.
The remarks signal a shift from Trump’s earlier insistence that Tehran hand over its enriched uranium to Washington as part of any future nuclear agreement.
Trump also said diplomatic efforts aimed at ending tensions with Iran were progressing positively and called on countries participating in the negotiations to join the Abraham Accords, the US-backed framework promoting diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and several Arab nations.
He described Iran potentially joining the accords as an “honour” and argued that nations involved in the peace initiative should support the regional arrangement.
The UAE and Bahrain are already signatories to the Abraham Accords, while Trump said he expects countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Jordan to eventually become part of the framework.
Responding to criticism from some Republican leaders over the proposed negotiations with Iran, Trump defended the draft agreement, saying it differed completely from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated during former US President Barack Obama’s administration.
Trump called the JCPOA a “disaster” and maintained that any future arrangement with Tehran would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capability.
“The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal,” he said, warning that failure in diplomacy could lead to renewed military confrontation.