Here's a classic diplomatic disconnect: President Donald Trump says Iran has agreed to "everything," including getting rid of its enriched uranium. Iran says, uh, no we haven't.
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump laid out what sounded like major concessions. He said Iran had agreed to remove its enriched uranium—a core demand in nuclear negotiations—and also to stop backing proxy terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. He added that this wouldn't require U.S. ground troops. He didn't give a timeline for announcing a deal but said discussions are ongoing.
Not so fast, said Tehran. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson shot back quickly, stating that "enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil and will not be transferred anywhere under any circumstances." That's a pretty direct rebuttal.
Trump also addressed a recent report by Axios that suggested his administration was considering a trade: unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian assets in exchange for Iran's nuclear stockpile. His response was blunt: "No, we are not paying 10 cents."
This back-and-forth comes after U.S.-Iran negotiations, mediated by Pakistan in Islamabad, reportedly collapsed without an agreement. Earlier on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz—that crucial chokepoint for global oil shipments—was open to commercial vessels for the duration of the ceasefire period. Trump took credit for the reopening.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for the market's gut check on all this, crypto prediction markets aren't betting heavily on peace breaking out anytime soon. Traders are showing mixed expectations and assigning low certainty to a near-term resolution of the conflict.
