Ahead of second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump has claimed Tehran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close” to a peace deal after nearly six weeks of conflict.
“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to the enriched uranium that the US says could be used to build nuclear weapons, news agency AFP reported.
“There’s a very good chance we’re going to make a deal,” he added.
Trump also said that if an Iran deal is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go.
Read More: Trump Says He Might Visit Islamabad If Iran Deal Is Signed, Lebanon Trip Also On Cards
While speaking to reporters, the
US President emphasised that Washington has to make sure that Tehran does not have a nuclear weapon. When asked whether a proposed minimum 20-year period for Iran to halt uranium enrichment would be acceptable, Trump said that any agreement must permanently prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and rejected the idea of a time-bound arrangement.
“The big thing we have to do is make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, because if they do, you want to talk about problems – you’d have problems. So it is very important that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve agreed to that. Iran’s agreed to that, and they’ve agreed to it very powerfully,” Trump said.
“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust that is way underground because of the attack we made with the B-2 bombers. So we have a lot of agreement with Iran, and I think something very positive is going to happen,” he added.
He also warned that fighting could resume if ongoing peace talks collapse, while saying Tehran now appears more willing to reach an agreement than it was two months ago.
Trump said Iran was showing greater flexibility during discussions aimed at ending hostilities after weeks of conflict.
US-Iran Peace Talks
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump signalled that talks with Iran could resume “over the next two days,” suggesting momentum may be building following last week’s inconclusive meeting. Trump also praised Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue, hinting at renewed diplomatic engagement.
In an interview with the New York Post, the US President said, “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there.”
Read More: ‘If There Is No Deal, Fighting Resumes’: Trump’s Warning To Iran Amid Peace Talks
The first round of negotiations, held last week in Islamabad under Pakistani mediation, ended without a breakthrough or formal understanding between the two sides.
US Vice President JD Vance led the delegation that met with Iranian officials in Pakistan over the weekend, but the talks ended without securing a deal. The negotiations, which came amid ongoing tensions in the region, focused heavily on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Washington has proposed a 20-year freeze on Iran’s uranium enrichment in its proposal, but Tehran had said it could only agree to do it for five years, according to reports by The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier, Tehran had proposed suspending uranium enrichment for up to five years, which was an offer that the Trump administration rejected, insisting on 20 years, the NYT reported, quoting two senior Iranian officials and one US official.
