President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. has reached a conceptual agreement with Iran to secure nuclear materials and stop the pursuit of a nuclear weapon [1].

This development marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, as the administration had previously considered military action to prevent Tehran from achieving nuclear capabilities [2].

Speaking from the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., Trump said the new Iranian leadership is "more rational" than previous iterations [1]. He said that this change in leadership has paved the way for a diplomatic breakthrough regarding the security of nuclear assets [1].

Trump said that the current Iranian leadership supports the agreement [1]. He said that Tehran has agreed conceptually to allow the U.S. to secure nuclear materials, and to stop pursuing a nuclear weapon [1].

Because of these developments, the president said he has canceled plans to strike Iran [2]. He said that the decision to halt military operations was based on the fact that a deal is near [2].

The president did not provide a specific timeline for the finalization of the agreement, or detail the specific mechanisms the U.S. would use to secure the nuclear materials [1].

“"Tehran has agreed conceptually to allow the US to secure nuclear materials and to stop pursuing a nuclear weapon."”

The cancellation of planned military strikes in favor of a conceptual agreement suggests a pivot toward diplomacy to address the Iranian nuclear threat. By focusing on the removal or securing of nuclear materials, the U.S. aims to create a physical barrier to weaponization that does not rely solely on monitoring or political promises.