Trump says US will not allow Iran enrich 'any' uranium under nuclear deal
US President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes -- as Tehran defended what it said was its "peaceful" pursuit of fuel for power generation.
Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
"Under our potential Agreement -- WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!" Trump said on his Truth Social network, after the Axios news outlet said Washington's offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel.
Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the current situation, saying that the Democrat "should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching.'"
Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined.
Iran has insisted that Iran has "nothing to hide" on its nuclear program.
Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog 's chief Rafael Grossi, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: "If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached."
The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment.
'Need for more transparency'
The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons.
"There is a need for more transparency -- this is very, very clear -- in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities," Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi.
Grossi added that some of the report's findings "may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticised".
Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions "exploit" it.
"Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap," Araghchi said of the IAEA.
Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Trump's administration.
Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received "elements" of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman.
'With or without a deal'
Both Araghchi and Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US-Iran talks and called for "de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war".
On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: "We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted."
"So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue," he said.
The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment.
"An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News.
Following a phone call with Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in Monday's press conference that "the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises".
He warned that military confrontation would create "a state of chaos from which no one will be spared".
Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium "with or without a deal" on its nuclear program.
The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called "acceptable" and in Tehran's "best interest" to accept, US media reported on Saturday.
The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power.
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Euronews
43 minutes ago
- Euronews
Iran's ayatollah criticises US proposal for new nuclear deal
Iran's supreme leader criticised an initial proposal from the United States on Wednesday regarding negotiations over Tehran's advancing nuclear programme but stopped short of entirely rejecting the idea of an agreement with Washington. The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reinforced a red line expressed by Iran in recent days that Tehran refuses to give up enriching uranium in any possible agreement with the US. That demand has been repeatedly made by Washington officials, including US President Donald Trump, although it remains unclear just how much US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff brought it up in his initial proposal to Iran. But crucially, Khamenei did not reject the talks in principle, which Iran views as crucial for its economy to see the removal of some of the crushing economic sanctions it is currently subject to. The ayatollah also did not insist on any specific level of nuclear enrichment. Iran now enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has led the talks with Witkoff, said Tehran will soon offer its response to the US. Khamenei's speech on Wednesday at the mausoleum of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini may serve as a preview. "If we had 100 nuclear power plants while not having enrichment, they are not usable for us," Khamenei said. "If we do not have enrichment, then we should extend our hand (begging) to the US." The details of the US proposal remain unclear, even after five rounds of talks between Tehran and Washington. A report by the news website Axios on the proposal, the details of which a US official separately confirmed, includes a possible nuclear consortium that would enrich uranium for Iran and surrounding nations. Whether Iran would have to give up its enrichment programme entirely remains unclear. A failure to get a deal could see tensions further spike in a Middle East already on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Iran's long-ailing economy could enter free fall, which could worsen simmering unrest at home. Israel or the US might also carry out long-threatened air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. And Tehran may decide to entirely end its cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog (IAEA) and rush towards construction of a nuclear bomb. The 86-year-old Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran, often balances his remarks over the demands of reformists within the country who want the talks against hard-line elements within Iran's theocracy, including the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. In an August speech, Khamenei opened the door for possible talks with the US, saying there is "no harm" in engaging with the "enemy". The supreme leader later tempered that, saying that negotiations with the US "are not intelligent, wise or honourable." Khamenei's speech on Wednesday offered an opportunity to discuss Witkoff's proposal. He described it as "100% against the idea of 'we can,'" borrowing from an Iranian government slogan. He described the US as having long sought the dismantling of Iran's entire nuclear industry. "The impolite and insolent American leaders keep repeating this demand with different wordings," Khamenei said. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), capped Tehran's enrichment level at 3.67% and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms. That level is enough for nuclear power plants, but far below weapons-grade levels of 90%. Since the deal collapsed in 2018 with Trump's unilateral withdrawal of the US from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its programme and enriched uranium to up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has paused food delivery in the Strip on Wednesday after reports claimed dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near their three distribution sites. The US and Israel-backed aid distribution group stated that it was in discussions with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to enhance safety measures, including methods to manage civilian presence near aid hubs and improve military training protocols. The pause in aid comes after Israeli forces acknowledged opening fire near a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah, a southern Gazan city now largely empty and declared a military zone. At least 27 people were killed on Tuesday, according to the Red Cross and the UN. The IDF denied firing on civilians, stating it shot near people they described as suspects who ignored warning shots. It said it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties. A further 80 people were reportedly killed since the GHF opened the aid distribution sites last week, in similar incidents on Sunday and Monday. In both cases, the Israeli military claimed to have fired warning shots. Both the US and Israel said they supported the creation of a new aid distribution system in Gaza aimed at stopping Hamas from war profiteering by diverting humanitarian supplies to fund its armed activities. The UN has repeatedly denied that Hamas has systematically diverted the aid on a significant scale. It said safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. The UN has declined to participate in the new distribution system with the GHF, stating it violates humanitarian principles by giving Israel control over who receives aid and requiring Palestinians to travel to collect supplies from only three hubs. Earlier this year, Israel imposed a complete aid blockade on food and other supplies into Gaza for two and a half months before easing restrictions in May. Humanitarian experts warned earlier this year that the Strip faced famine unless Israel lifted its blockade and stopped its renewed military campaign that began in March. Israel has vowed to seize control of Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages seized in the incursion that sparked the war. The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages and is currently holding 58, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date resulted in the deaths of at least 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says 862 of its soldiers have died since the start of the war. Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and lost nearly all of its senior leaders in Gaza.
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
How to survive a visit to the Oval Office - a guide for leaders
The infamous meeting of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February uptilted the diplomatic world. Leaders and their advisors across the globe are considering different options before visiting the Oval Office in Washington, DC. On February 28, Ukraine's president Zelenksyy had a heated argument with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House, ending with leaders raising their voices while confronting each other in an unprecedented diplomatic row in front of the television cameras. The meeting sent shockwaves across the world as diplomats attempted to work on different strategies for dealing with Trump, when it comes to bilateral meetings at the Oval Office. Now it's German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's turn for a moment in the Oval office, here are some options for him to consider when dealing with the US president. Primary advice for leaders is to bear in mind they will not have much private time with Trump: most of the discussions will be live on air, in front of the cameras. "The first thing is to be prepared for everything. I think one of the biggest challenges that we saw with President Zelenskyy was that no one in their wildest imagination could have imagined that Donald Trump would want to discuss very controversial national security issues with a rolling camera," Bruegel institute analyst Jacob Kirkegaard told Euronews. During their confrontation, Vance accused Zelenksyy of being disrespectful, while Trump reminded him he had no cards in the game. The meeting ended without signing the long-awaited mineral deal between the two sides. Another incident where the talks went south was Trump's meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in May, which saw the US president rolling suspect news footage while alleging white genocide in the country. Trump said people are fleeing the country because of violence against white farmers, played television videos and handed over a pile of newspaper articles to his counterpart. The claim was rejected by President Ramaphosa, who said the majority of victims of violence in the country are black, adding that there is no genocide in South Africa. President Ramaphosa did manage to hit back at Trump afterwards, when he lamented not having a plane to give Trump, a reference to Qatar's offer of a $400 million aeroplane to the US president. In May the US officially accepted a Boeing 747 airliner from Qatar to serve the famous Air Force One fleet of the president. The presence of cameras inevitably shift the nature of any diplomacy on display. "One of the characteristics of Donald Trump is that he's always unfiltered. He says whatever he thinks at the moment, for good or bad, right, and that obviously is not the way diplomacy between countries is normally conducted," said Kirkegaard. Mostly such conversations are kept well away from media scrutiny, according to Kirkegaard, who added: "Perhaps he feels that having a camera throws other leaders off balance." The next advice for those braving the Oval office is to shower Trump with gifts and gestures - such as that Qatari plane. The gift sparked debates and legal concerns in the US, but the Trump administration never backed down from accepting the gift. Brett Bruen, the president of the Global Situation Room and a former US diplomat told Euronews that European leaders should keep in mind that Trump is out for a prize, something that he can hold up. "It can be a flashy object and say, look, I got the biggest, the best deal, the substance doesn't really matter. Quite frankly, the strategy doesn't seem to matter very much. So this is ultimately like, how do you deal with a toddler? A toddler is constantly going to come back and say I want more, I want this new toy. Well, if I were advising European leaders, I would say have a bunch of small, shiny objects lined up and every time Trump comes and says, well, I want something else, you dole out that next shiny object to him," Bruen said. Bruegel's Kirkegaard agreed that Trump should sometimes be treated like a child. "I think you have to certainly deal with him, expecting a possible tantrum. He can be very unpredictable in a way that a child is. You clearly know he is a narcissist. So you have, if you want, to play to his ego," said Kirkegaard. Witness Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval office handing the president a cartoon-sized invitation for a state visit to the UK from King Charles. "This is really special, this is unprecedented, this has never happened before," Starmer told Trump in an attempt to charm him. A strategy that can pay off, according to the expert. "Obviously, if you are the British Prime Minister, you know that Donald Trump likes the royal family, has a fondness of the UK in general, of course, you would want to exploit that. In the same way that, for instance, a former Japanese Prime Minister who was a pretty keen golfer exploited that with Donald Trump as well, who's well known for his fondness for golf," Kirkegaard said. After the disastrous Trump-Zelenskyy meeting back in February, many foreign dignitaries decided not see Trump. Asian leaders are particularly keen to avoid any nasty surprises that might spring from an encounter with the US president. Trump's temper might cause China to think twice about accepting a bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping anytime soon. "In the case of Asia, political cultures or systems have a low tolerance for the unexpected, which requires a certain formality around their political leaders. One example is China. There's no doubt that the possibility of a Xi Jinping-Trump meeting is close to zero, or probably is zero under these circumstances. Because there's simply no chance that the Chinese government will risk putting Xi Jinping in this position where something not scripted could happen. I think that applies similarly to many other Asian countries," Jacob Kirkegaard said. An exception to this rule is Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba, who had a fruitful meeting with Trump back in February, where they talked about a possible trade deal and more LNG transfer from the US to Japan. But the expert recalls that even those positive meetings will not bring results, questioning the necessity of those highly risky visits. "The reality is that there has been no breakthrough on trade deals with Japan. So the question is, why would anybody want to come? Whatever Trump agrees to, maybe or maybe not, in a bilateral meeting in the White House, might be forgotten the next day," according to Kirkegaard. "Again, go back to what happened to Keir Starmer. He thought he had a trade agreement with Donald Trump that exempted British steel exports to the US. Well, clearly he didn't have that. So, you know, it's very much for, especially countries like that in Asia, it is very high risk and essentially maybe no reward," Kirkegaard said. Visits of President Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte went relatively well. In the case of Rutte this is because the US is main force in the alliance. "De facto Rutte works for Donald Trump, let's not forget that. He came, and he's basically done everything that the president would want him to do. They're working towards a 5% target for NATO defence expenditure for example," according to the Bruegel analyst. For Merz's visit on Thursday, the stakes are high. The Trump administration is highly critical of Germany. Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk supported the far-right Alternative für Deutschland in the German election campaign, and accused Germany of suppressing free speech. And Trump is also critical of the record German trade surplus. So far its not clear which attitude Merz will take towards Trump. But standing up to him might be popular in Germany. "If you're the German Chancellor, you go to the Oval Office and you hold your ground. You take a public confrontation with Donald Trump over issues, it might play well for Friedrich Merz domestically, to stand up to Donald Trump's bullying or perhaps refuting his fake news," said Kirkegaard. He said that when Macron interrupted Trump back in February, correcting the US president over European funding to Ukraine, it did him no political damage. And in the case of Zelenskyy, he even benefited domestically for not backing down. This could also be working on Friedrich Merz's mind. Competing narratives have emerged following a series of deadly incidents which reportedly took place in the vicinity of the US-Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) food aid distribution sites in south-west Gaza. According to accounts from local Hamas-run authorities, as well as eyewitnesses and medical professionals, troops from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) shot at and killed a number of Palestinians who were seeking to access the GHF sites in recent days. While shootings were reported near all three GHF hubs in southern Gaza, the heaviest occurred on Sunday and Tuesday at the Flag Roundabout, which is situated on a designated access route to a hub in the Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah. The UN has called for an independent investigation into the incidents, reminding Israel that it is required to facilitate humanitarian aid under international law. EuroVerify takes a look at the facts in order to build up a timeline of what we know. On Sunday, 31 Palestinians were reportedly killed by IDF shots as they attempted to access GHF distribution sites, said local Hamas-run authorities. To reach the GHF's sites in Rafah, Palestinians must walk for kilometres along a designated route, which the GHF says the Israeli military keeps secure. In statements to the public, the GHF has warned that people should stay on the road, stating that leaving it "represents a great danger." Before dawn on Sunday, thousands of Palestinians massed at the Flag Roundabout, approximately one kilometre northwest of GHF's site. By 3am, thousands had gathered and according to Palestinian witnesses, it is around this time that Israeli troops started firing at the crowd with guns, tanks and drones. NGO Médecins sans Frontières has stated that patients — who said they had been shot by Israeli forces near GHF distribution sites — began to stream into Khan Younis' Nasser hospital on Sunday morning. Another international organisation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), declared that on Sunday, 179 adults and children bearing shrapnel and gunshot wounds arrived at the organisation's field hospital in Rafah. According to the ICRC, its medical teams declared 21 individuals dead upon arrival. Israel has denied allegations its forces opened fire on locals queuing for aid in Rafah. On Sunday the IDF branded such reports "false" in a post shared on X, stating that an initial inquiry found that its forces "did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site." The GHF told EuroVerify that no incidents occurred at or in the surrounding vicinity of their distribution site on Sunday, adding that there were "no injuries, no fatalities." On Tuesday, Gaza's health ministry said Israeli forces had shot and killed at least 27 people near the GHF distribution centre. Civilians were fired at by tanks, drones and helicopters near the Flag Roundabout close to the distribution hub. Israel denies that such an incident happened and claims that it only fired warning shots at people it suspected were deviating from designated access routes to the GHF centre. "The troops carried out warning fire and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops," the IDF said in a post on X. It added that it was aware of reported casualties and that it was investigating the incident. "IDF troops are not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites," the IDF said. "The warning shots were fired approximately half a kilometre away from the humanitarian aid distribution site toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops in such a way that posed a threat to them." The GHF itself said that the distribution of food was carried out without any issues within its perimeter and that it was aware of the Israeli investigation into the reported injured civilians. On Wednesday, the GHF said it had paused aid distribution and discussing measures to improve civilian safety with the Israeli military, including changes to traffic management and troop training. The body began distributing aid on 26 May, after a three-month Israeli blockade on aid entering Gaza pushed the population of more than 2 million to the brink of famine. The GHF system limits food distribution to hubs guarded by armed contractors. Of the three hubs that are open, one is in central Gaza and two are in the far south on the outskirts of the mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah. Israel's ban on international media access to Gaza — which means that journalists must partake in an organised army press tour to enter the territory — has fuelled online speculation and renders independent on the ground verification a major challenge.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Aid group halts deliveries in Gaza after shootings near aid sites
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has paused food delivery in the Strip on Wednesday after reports claimed dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near their three distribution sites. The US and Israel-backed aid distribution group stated that it was in discussions with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to enhance safety measures, including methods to manage civilian presence near aid hubs and improve military training protocols. The pause in aid comes after Israeli forces acknowledged opening fire near a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah, a southern Gazan city now largely empty and declared a military zone. At least 27 people were killed on Tuesday, according to the Red Cross and the UN. The IDF denied firing on civilians, stating it shot near people they described as suspects who ignored warning shots. It said it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties. A further 80 people were reportedly killed since the GHF opened the aid distribution sites last week, in similar incidents on Sunday and Monday. In both cases, the Israeli military claimed to have fired warning shots. Both the US and Israel said they supported the creation of a new aid distribution system in Gaza aimed at stopping Hamas from war profiteering by diverting humanitarian supplies to fund its armed activities. The UN has repeatedly denied that Hamas has systematically diverted the aid on a significant scale. It said safeguards are in place to prevent misuse. The UN has declined to participate in the new distribution system with the GHF, stating it violates humanitarian principles by giving Israel control over who receives aid and requiring Palestinians to travel to collect supplies from only three hubs. Earlier this year, Israel imposed a complete aid blockade on food and other supplies into Gaza for two and a half months before easing restrictions in May. Humanitarian experts warned earlier this year that the Strip faced famine unless Israel lifted its blockade and stopped its renewed military campaign that began in March. Israel has vowed to seize control of Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages seized in the incursion that sparked the war. The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages and is currently holding 58, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date resulted in the deaths of at least 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military says 862 of its soldiers have died since the start of the war. Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and lost nearly all of its senior leaders in Gaza.
