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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons, as negotiations continue over ending the conflict and addressing concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program.
“Look, and this is very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon because as tough as they are, we want to keep them alive,” the president said during remarks at the White House. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t. And they’ve agreed to that, among other things.”
President Trump also emphasized that the United States is seeking control of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which officials say includes more than 900 pounds of material that could potentially be further refined.
“We’re going to get it,” he told reporters.
The issue of enriched uranium has become a central sticking point in negotiations aimed at ending more than two months of conflict that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Discussions are also focused on the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the status of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that previously handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
Reports indicate the White House is awaiting Tehran’s response to a proposed framework agreement that could formally end the conflict and open broader negotiations. The proposal is said to include provisions on restoring shipping in the strait, easing sanctions, and limiting Iran’s nuclear activities.
Iran has not publicly responded to the latest U.S. offer, and details of the proposal remain unclear.
President Trump suggested that recent military actions have significantly weakened Iran’s capabilities.
“Now, it’s only a question of, look, if we left right now Iran, it would take them 20 years to rebuild,” he said. “We’re in good shape.”
He added that talks have shown progress in recent days and that a deal remains possible.
“They want to make a deal,” the president said. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours. And it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal.”
