US President Donald Trump revealed that he once considered a plan to send US forces to Iran to extract its stock of enriched uranium, but he ultimately put it aside as tensions in the Middle East resurfaced in conjunction with ongoing diplomatic talks.Trump said the plan was rejected because it was considered “too dangerous” and would have required a large-scale military mobilization. He pointed out that the operation would have taken at least two weeks and would have included the transfer of large quantities of military equipment to Iranian territory. “I didn’t feel like Jimmy Carter,” he said, speaking of the former president’s failed efforts to rescue 52 U.S. embassy employees who were taken hostage by Iran in 1980.Referring to nuclear materials as “nuclear fallout,” Trump said Pentagon planners had considered multiple ways to recover the stockpile.While the proposal was shelved, Trump stressed that the United States still has the capacity to carry out such an operation. “We can get it now,” he said, adding, “I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s buried.” The US President also stated that the material is currently safe and does not require immediate action, and said that Washington does not need a formal agreement with Tehran to control enriched uranium.
Trump also stated that he was not inclined to hold a direct meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, although he did not rule out the possibility if a broader diplomatic understanding was reached between the two countries. “If that happens… I will be respectful,” he said.Mojtaba Khamenei, a 54-year-old Islamic cleric, assumed Iran’s top leadership after his father was killed in a joint US-Israeli military strike. Trump said that despite the precise operations carried out by the United States and Israel targeting members of Khamenei’s immediate family, he still expects professional behavior from the Iranian leader.
“We killed his father, wife, and son, so maybe I’m not his favorite person.
“But in some circles, he actually has a very good reputation,” Trump said.In parallel developments, an Axios report stated that prominent US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Thursday to hold consultations with technical specialists who are expected to play a major role in the upcoming nuclear negotiations with Iran.The White House is working to reach a memorandum of understanding with Tehran aimed at stopping hostilities and promoting comprehensive nuclear talks. However, officials and regional mediators involved in the process say the two sides remain deeply divided over key elements of the proposed agreement.Although negotiations are in their final stages, officials have warned that the prospect of a breakthrough remains uncertain.
A US official said that the Oak Ridge visit should not be seen as a guarantee of an agreement, but rather a sign that the discussions have entered a more serious phase.Key sticking points continue to slow progress, with the Trump administration pushing for a strict 60-day deadline to reduce the amount of Iranian enriched uranium, while Tehran insists on a 90-day timeline.Meanwhile, the chaos in the Middle East has already exceeded 3 months, and is now approaching the 100-day mark. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. After the attack, the country responded by pressing the vital Strait of Hormuz, disrupting 20% of global oil supplies, with ripple effects across economies.