President Donald Trump said Iran has “agreed to everything” in negotiations with the United States, including a plan to remove its enriched uranium stockpile, but left key questions unanswered about how such an operation would be carried out.
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump insisted the arrangement would not require U.S. ground troops, even as he described an American role in physically retrieving the material.
“No. No troops,” Trump said. “We’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it.”
Pressed on who exactly would handle the operation, the president offered only a vague answer: “our people,” suggesting a joint U.S.-Iran effort once a formal agreement is in place.
“Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it,” Trump said, adding that the uranium would ultimately be transported to the United States.
Iran quickly disputed Trump’s claim. “Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV.
If Trump’s claim is accurate, the remarks point to a potentially sweeping — and unconventional — framework for dismantling Iran’s nuclear stockpile, one that appears to rely on direct coordination between longtime adversaries. But the lack of specificity surrounding logistics, oversight and verification is likely to draw scrutiny from lawmakers and nonproliferation experts, particularly given the technical and security challenges involved in handling enriched uranium.
Trump also said Iran has agreed to halt support for proxy terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas — a longstanding U.S. demand — though he did not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or timelines.
The president indicated that negotiations are ongoing, with U.S. and Iranian officials expected to meet this weekend. He added that the U.S. would maintain its blockade measures until a deal is finalized.
“We’ll continue the blockade until we get it done,” Trump said.
The comments come amid conflicting reports about what Washington may be willing to offer in return. Axios previously reported that the administration was weighing the release of up to $20 billion in frozen Iranian assets as part of a potential agreement tied to Tehran’s nuclear material.
Trump flatly denied that claim.
“No, we are not paying 10 cents,” he said.
The emerging contours of the deal — if they hold — would mark a dramatic shift in U.S.-Iran relations, but the absence of concrete details leaves open fundamental questions about how, and whether, such an agreement could be executed.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
