US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the ongoing talks with Iran may lead to results “by the end of this week,” without ruling out their failure, stressing that the negotiations are going “very well.”
In a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump said that Iranian officials “are about to sign,” but at the same time he indicated that “the situation regarding Iran is volatile and anything could happen,” adding that Washington prefers to reach a written agreement if possible.
The US President acknowledged that Iranian officials changed their positions several times during the negotiations, but he expressed his belief that an agreement could be reached in the near future.
Regarding Iranian highly enriched uranium, Trump confirmed that he seeks to obtain it, saying that the United States will be able to access it in the near future, reiterating that Washington will not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.
He also revealed that Tehran agreed to allow the United States to enter Iran to excavate buried nuclear materials, in coordination with the Iranian authorities, after the end of the conflict, noting that accessing these materials is “very difficult,” but he stressed his desire to implement this step.
He added that the United States and China likely possess the equipment necessary to carry out this mission, stressing that Iranian nuclear sites are subject to constant surveillance, and that any activity within them will be monitored.
Trump explained that these measures will not be taken until after the end of the conflict, stressing that he does not want to expose the American forces to any risks during the current stage.
The US President considered that Iran represents “a real problem for the world and not just for the region,” while he downplayed the importance of the recent confrontations, saying that a ceasefire in this region of the world means a less intense exchange of fire.
Regarding the Lebanon file, Trump announced that he wants to separate the talks related to Lebanon from those related to Iran, despite Tehran’s insistence that the two files are interconnected, stressing that Washington is working to separate the issue of opening the Strait of Hormuz and the hostilities in Lebanon.
Trump also praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a tense phone conversation that took place between them recently.
In the same context, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the fate of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium constitutes a major axis in the ongoing talks between the two countries under Pakistani sponsorship, noting that Tehran has not yet given its final approval to a peace agreement.
Rubio said before the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives that this issue is clearly raised in the letters exchanged between the two sides, but without reaching a final agreement yet.
He stressed that the war with Iran is over, stressing that the United States is no longer carrying out continuous strikes inside Iranian territory, and considering that Washington achieved a “victory” by destroying a large part of Iran’s military capabilities, including the defense industrial base, missile launchers and drones, in addition to what remained of its air force and naval fleet.
