Trump claims Iran has agreed to relinquish enriched uranium stockpile
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium. The announcement was made during a press conference at the White House, where he referred to the material as "nuclear dust." He said both countries are "close" to reaching a peace deal after weeks of conflict.
Nuclear concerns
Agreement must prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons: Trump
Trump stressed that any agreement must permanently prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He rejected the idea of a time-bound arrangement, saying, "The big thing we have to do is make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon." This comes after failed negotiations last weekend in Islamabad over uranium enrichment rights. The talks lasted almost 21 hours.
Negotiation deadlock
US proposed 20-year freeze on Iran's uranium enrichment
The United States had proposed a 20-year freeze on Iran's uranium enrichment, but Tehran could only agree to a five-year period. The Trump administration had earlier demanded an indefinite halt to all domestic enrichment by Iran, citing concerns over potential nuclear weapons development. Despite the deadlock, Trump said Iran seems more willing to negotiate than two months ago.
Diplomatic efforts
Peace talks could resume soon, possibly in Islamabad
On Tuesday, Trump had signalled that talks with Iran could resume "over the next two days." He hinted that peace talks could resume soon, possibly in Islamabad. He praised Pakistan's role as a mediator in the negotiations and said something positive could happen in the coming days. The first round of talks, mediated by Pakistan, ended without a formal agreement between the two sides.