Trump Says US Will Secure Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium as Tehran Refuses Overseas Transfer
Summary
- Trump said the US would secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium, bringing Middle East risk back into focus as a market variable.
- Trump said the US would seize Iran’s uranium and “probably” destroy it, signaling Washington’s hard-line stance.
- Iran is maintaining its policy of not sending nuclear material abroad, raising the possibility of a negotiating deadlock as the supreme leader’s directive remains in place.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
President Donald Trump’s renewed insistence that the US will secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium is putting Middle East risk back on investors’ radar. Iran is maintaining its refusal to send nuclear material abroad, raising the possibility of a deadlock in future talks.
Reuters reported on May 22 that Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said, “We will get it,” referring to the uranium. “We don’t need it, and we don’t want it, but we’re not going to let them have it.”
Reuters said Iran is estimated to hold about 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Trump has claimed the material was buried underground after US and Israeli airstrikes about a year ago.
The comments reaffirm Washington’s stance that Iran must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons. Trump also said the uranium would “probably” be destroyed once secured, underscoring the administration’s hard-line position.
Iran, however, continues to reject sending the nuclear material overseas. Reuters, citing a senior Iranian source, reported that Iran’s supreme leader had instructed officials not to transfer near-weapons-grade uranium abroad.
