Former President Donald Trump said Iran’s highly enriched uranium could be destroyed or handed over to the U.S. as part of a new deal [1, 2].
The agreement aims to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while securing the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without tolls [1, 3].
Speaking from the White House on Monday, May 25, Trump said there was a breakthrough in negotiations [1, 3]. He said the move is essential to ensure regional stability and the free flow of maritime trade. "We have reached a breakthrough – Iran’s enriched uranium will be destroyed," Trump said [3].
The stakes of the deal involve a stockpile of enriched uranium that is sufficient to build 11 nuclear bombs [4]. Trump said that Iran must agree to never possess a nuclear weapon and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately, without tolls [1].
While Trump suggested the uranium could be handed over to the U.S., other reports indicate a different approach [1]. Some U.S. officials are weighing options that would allow Iran to dispose of the material without directly handing it to Washington [2].
The announcement followed a meeting at the White House with aides that lasted two hours [5]. This diplomatic push comes amid heightened tensions in the region and concerns over the strategic waterway's accessibility.
Trump said the terms are non-negotiable regarding the nuclear stockpile and the shipping lanes [1, 3]. The final mechanism for the uranium's disposal remains a point of internal discussion among officials [2].
“"We have reached a breakthrough – Iran’s enriched uranium will be destroyed."”
This proposal represents a pivot toward high-stakes diplomacy to resolve two critical security issues: nuclear proliferation and global energy security. By linking the disposal of uranium—enough for 11 bombs—to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the administration is attempting to trade nuclear disarmament for the restoration of unrestricted maritime commerce in one of the world's most volatile chokepoints.
