WASHINGTON, May 26: US President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran’s enriched uranium could either be transferred to the United States for destruction or dismantled under international supervision at another agreed location, including inside Iran itself.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump indicated flexibility in ongoing negotiations, saying his preferred option would be to destroy the enriched uranium “in place” or at another mutually acceptable site under the observation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or a similar authority.
“The enriched uranium will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, destroyed in place or at another acceptable location with international supervision,” Trump wrote.
The remarks marked a shift from his earlier insistence that Iran hand over its enriched uranium stockpile to the US as a precondition for any agreement.
Trump also said negotiations aimed at ending tensions with Iran were progressing “nicely” and renewed his push for broader participation in the Abraham Accords, the US-backed diplomatic framework normalising relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
Calling the accords a key element of regional stability, Trump said countries involved in the talks should join the agreement simultaneously. He added that it would be an “honour” if Iran eventually became part of the framework.
The UAE and Bahrain are already signatories to the accords, while Trump urged countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Jordan to join.
Responding to criticism from some Republican leaders over a possible agreement with Tehran, Trump defended the proposed deal, saying it would be fundamentally different from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated during former President Barack Obama’s administration.
“The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal,” Trump said, describing the JCPOA as a “disaster” and claiming it created a pathway for Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
He warned that failure to reach an agreement could result in renewed escalation.
“It will only be a great deal for all, or no deal at all — back to conflict and confrontation, but bigger and stronger than ever before,” Trump said.
