US President Donald Trump on Thursday said his administration is committed to resolving the Iran nuclear issue through diplomacy, but warned that Tehran must completely abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.”My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon,” he further added.
IRAN PLANS NEW NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT SITE
This comes after Iran announced on Friday that it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility, escalating tensions with the United States over the stalled nuclear deal. The move further alarmed Western governments already concerned by the scale of Iran’s uranium enrichment, which far exceeds levels required for civilian purposes.
A sixth round of US-Iran talks is set to begin Sunday in Oman. Trump warned that if diplomacy fails, military action by either the United States or Israel remains on the table. “I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” he said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly claimed to have evidence that Iran’s nuclear program is being used to develop weapons, intensifying Washington’s concerns.
Adding to the international pressure, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday formally censured Iran for the first time in 20 years, citing non-compliance with nuclear enrichment regulations. In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organisation issued a joint statement, warning: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution.”
Despite the rising stakes, Trump emphasized the importance of continuing negotiations: “As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think it would blow it.”
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