President Donald Trump announced that the United States is nearing a nuclear deal with Iran, stating that the two nations are engaged in "very serious negotiations" aimed at achieving long-term peace in the Middle East. According to a pool report from AFP. "If we do that, it'll be fantastic."
Video: Trump speaks about Iran / Credit: X
"You read today the story about Iran has sort of agreed to the terms that they're not going to make, I'll call it in a friendly way, nuclear dust." According to a pool report from Agence France-Presse, he stressed that the negotiations aim for "long-term peace" in the Middle East.
Trump on Iran Nuclear Talks: "They Can't Have a Nuclear Weapon"
Trump: "You probably read today the story about Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They're not going to make, I call it in a friendly way, 'nuclear dust'… I want them to succeed. I want them to end up being a… pic.twitter.com/0jUEPp07mb
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Trump provided no specific details on the framework or timeline. The remarks, made on Thursday, come amid ongoing indirect talks mediated by Oman.
Trump emphasized a simple condition for any agreement. "There's only one sentence – they can't have a nuclear weapon," he said, dismissing the need for "30 pages worth of details." The talks follow Trump's 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which led to Iran enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, nearing weapons-grade levels. Reuters reported that the current negotiations focus on capping Iran's enrichment at 3.67% , extending verification measures, and lengthening sunset clauses for up to 25 years.
The president underscored his preference for diplomacy over conflict. "There's two steps. There's a very, very nice step and there's a violent step – violence like people haven't seen before," Trump said. "I don't want to do the second step. Some people do, many people do. I don't want to do that step." He expressed hope for Iran's future, stating, "I want them to succeed. I want them to end up being a great country, uh, frankly, but they can't have a nuclear weapon." He said, "We're getting close to maybe doing a deal."
The negotiations follow Trump's decision to abandon the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during his first term, a move that led to heightened tensions and Iran's subsequent breaches of the deal's nuclear restrictions. Since 2018, Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, close to weapons-grade levels, raising alarms in Washington and among allies like Israel. Reuters reported that the current talks focus on limiting Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent, extending verification measures, and expanding sunset clauses for up to 25 years, while preserving the core of the original JCPOA.
Trump's comments reflect a shift from his earlier threats of military action if Iran failed to negotiate, including a March statement that Tehran would face "bombing the likes of which they have never seen before" without a deal. Reuters noted that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has emphasized indirect talks and rejected complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program, a demand pushed by hardliners in Trump's administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
