President Donald Trump has made it clear: the United States is going to eliminate Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, whether Tehran plays ball or not. In an NBC interview that aired Sunday, Trump laid out a hardline stance that leaves little room for ambiguity.
“It'll be our equipment. We'll take it out and destroy it, whether it's on-site or whether we take it off-site,” Trump said. He also warned of severe military consequences if a deal isn't reached, signaling that the clock is ticking on diplomacy.
The President tied any economic relief to a completed peace agreement. Sanctions won't be lifted, and frozen assets won't be released, until after a deal is signed. “If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking,” Trump said.
But Trump wants more than just a promise not to build nukes. He's pushing for a clause that would also prevent Iran from buying or acquiring nuclear weapons through any means. “I want to put the word, if they buy or purchase or acquire … You've got to have that in there too because that's not developing,” Trump said. “So, they don't have the right to develop or purchase, acquire or buy.”
Iran Assets Become Key Sticking Point
The tough talk comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. Despite Trump's efforts to restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, missile strikes have been exchanged between the two countries, raising the stakes for any negotiation.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to use Iranian assets to compensate for damages from Tehran's strikes in the Gulf. This follows a statement from Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, who said that unlocking $24 billion in U.S.-held frozen Iranian assets is a prerequisite for any peace agreement.
More than $100 billion in Iranian assets remain inaccessible globally, locked up by international sanctions, banking restrictions, and decades of legal disputes. These frozen assets include oil revenues and other state-held funds sitting in foreign accounts, cutting off a major source of capital for Iran, according to Iran International, citing Iranian officials.
The full interview with Trump is available online, where he discusses the Iran conflict and his approach to ending it.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.
