US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that any potential agreement with Iran would not include the prior release of frozen Iranian assets or the easing of sanctions, while stressing his country would obtain Iran’s highly enriched uranium “one way or another.” In remarks to NBC News, Trump said discussions on unfreezing Iranian funds would come at a later stage.
“If Iran behaves properly, then we can begin talking about money and sanctions,” he said. Trump added that the US would secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium “with or without Iran’s participation,” warning that military action remained an option if Tehran refused to cooperate.
“If we reach an agreement and become partners, we will remove and destroy it together, whether at the site itself or by transferring it elsewhere,” he said.
“However, if no agreement is reached, we will move to weaken Iran’s military capabilities to a level that would allow US forces to collect these materials safely and independently,” he added.
Trump indicated that Washington and Tehran were “very close” to reaching an agreement but said he was pressing Iran to take further steps to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
He noted that he wanted an additional provision in any deal to ensure that Iran would not be able to circumvent the agreement and eventually acquire a nuclear weapon. Regarding the presence of US forces in the region, Trump said he had no immediate plans to withdraw American troops despite his assessment that Iran’s defensive and offensive capabilities had been “severely damaged.” “Look, we destroyed their military.
They still have some missiles and drones,” he said, claiming that Iran retained only 21 to 22 percent of its pre-war missile stockpile. He added that the approximately 50,000 US troops deployed in the region would remain in place for now.
“We may need to use them to pressure Iran and bring it to the negotiating table until a final settlement is reached,” he said. The United States continues to exert economic pressure on Iran through sanctions and maritime restrictions while signaling the possibility of renewed military action. – Kuna
