Washington, 26 May (H.S.):

President Donald Trump has said that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium will either be transferred to the United States to be destroyed or dismantled at an “acceptable location” under international supervision, as Washington and Tehran inch closer to a broader peace agreement.

In a statement posted on his social‑media platform, Trump described enriched uranium as “nuclear dust” and insisted that it must not remain in Iran’s possession. He added that the material would be destroyed either inside Iran or after being moved to the United States, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or a similar body acting as a witness.

Trump said the decision would be made “in conjunction and collaboration” with Iran, framing it as part of a wider framework to end hostilities in the Middle East. He repeated that any deal with Tehran must be “great and meaningful,” otherwise the United States would walk away.

According to U.S. officials and international reports, Iran is believed to hold roughly 400–440 kilograms of uranium enriched to around 60 percent, which is far above the level needed for civilian nuclear‑power use but still short of the 90 percent commonly defined as weapons‑grade.

Iran has not fully confirmed Trump’s claim that it has agreed to give up its enriched uranium. Tehran has, however, signalled that it is willing to freeze its enrichment activities for up to 15 years and to negotiate the fate of its existing stockpile, including possible removal or dilution, in exchange for a clear roadmap to lift sanctions.

The issue of enriched uranium has been one of the main sticking points in the ceasefire process, with Washington demanding strict limits on Iran’s nuclear material and Tehran insisting on keeping its nuclear infrastructure intact while demanding guarantees on sanctions relief.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar