A senior Trump administration official has warned Iran it will receive no sanctions relief unless it surrenders its enriched uranium, as nuclear deal negotiations continue
The Trump administration has issued a stark warning to Tehran, as the world anxiously anticipates whether Iran will relinquish its enriched uranium. An official from Trump’s team declared on Sunday, 24 May, “no dust, no dollars” for Iran, indicating that there will be no easing of sanctions unless Iran surrenders its enriched uranium.
Trump announced a memorandum of understanding on Saturday, proposing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allowing an additional 30 days for nuclear discussions. The strait has been shut down by Iran since hostilities commenced nearly three months ago, following joint strikes on several crucial Iranian sites by the US and Israel.
Officials from the Trump administration stated that no agreement was imminent and that it would require at least five to seven days to finalise any deal, reports the Mirror.
“Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday.
A high-ranking administration official suggested that Iran stands to gain little if it fails to fulfil promises to surrender its enriched uranium.
The administration official informed reporters: “95% is done, but literally changing words requires days of deliberation in their system.
“No dust, no dollars – in other words, no highly enriched uranium, then the Iranians aren’t going to get any real relief.
“If they do nothing, they get nothing. If they do a lot, they can actually get a lot.”
A top Trump official stated in a Sunday afternoon briefing that Trump’s team will “get a better deal” than the Obama administration’s multinational Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement.
The JCPOA permitted Iran to continue some enrichment activities.
The official revealed that “there were pallets of cash, and we did fly $1.7 billion of money from American banks there, and they used it to build centrifuges and finance terrorism”.
At present, US and Iranian negotiators are discussing a comprehensive ban on enrichment spanning decades, although the exact duration is yet to be determined.
“No one disputes that the stockpiled enriched material will be disposed of. It’s a question about how,” the official stated.
“And then simultaneously, while we’re figuring out that question of how, we’re going to have this thing where the strait open, the blockade is lifted and we get the economy some breathing room.”