Trump softens stance on Iran uranium disposal

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States could accept the destruction of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium either inside Iran or in a third country, backing away from his earlier demand that the material be transferred to the United States.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran’s enriched uranium would either be “immediately moved to the United States for disposal” or destroyed inside Iran in coordination with Tehran.

He added that the material could also be eliminated at “another location acceptable to both sides,” with the process taking place under the supervision of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission or a comparable authority.

Trump had previously insisted that the United States take custody of Iran’s 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, an amount considered sufficient to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons. Iran strongly opposed the proposal, leaving one of the key sticking points in negotiations unresolved.

His latest remarks suggest an effort to narrow differences with Tehran ahead of the expected signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict. The proposal appears aimed at keeping negotiations on track by addressing some of Iran’s concerns.

The move could invite criticism from Trump’s political allies. If the uranium is destroyed inside Iran, critics argue Tehran could resume enrichment at a later date, raising doubts about whether the arrangement would fully eliminate the country’s nuclear capabilities.

Some hard-liners within the Republican Party have already voiced dissatisfaction, arguing that the administration risks accepting Iran’s demands without achieving one of the war’s stated goals: eliminating Iran’s nuclear capacity.

Separately, the U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said Sunday that U.S. forces had carried out airstrikes against missile launch sites and vessels in southern Iran in what it described as an act of self-defense.

While the military characterized the operation as defensive, some observers see the strikes as an effort to increase pressure on Tehran ahead of a potential agreement to end the conflict.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com