International
oi-Ashish Rana
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a sharp warning to Iran, demanding that Tehran surrender its enriched uranium to the United States for destruction, even as American forces carried out fresh military strikes on Iranian targets in the country’s south.
US President Donald Trump demanded Iran surrender its enriched uranium for destruction, while US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran amid diplomatic talks in Doha; Trump also urged regional expansion of the Abraham Accords.
The latest escalation came amid ongoing diplomatic efforts in Doha aimed at securing a broader agreement to end the months-long conflict in the Middle East.
Trump Demands Iran Hand Over Enriched Uranium
In a social media post, Trump said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium must either be transferred to the United States or destroyed under international supervision.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” he said.
Since fighting in the region began on February 28, Trump has repeatedly maintained that Washington’s primary objective is to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon through its highly enriched uranium programme.
Iran, however, has consistently denied allegations that it is attempting to develop nuclear weapons.
US Conducts “Self-Defence” Strikes In Southern Iran
Trump’s warning came shortly after the US military confirmed new strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure in southern Iran, raising concerns over the stability of the fragile ceasefire that took effect on April 8.
According to Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command, American forces targeted missile launch facilities and boats allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines.
“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.
Hawkins did not provide detailed operational information but confirmed that the strikes focused on missile launch sites and vessels trying to “emplace mines.”
The attacks have added fresh uncertainty to ongoing diplomatic discussions between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian Officials Hold Doha Talks Amid Tensions
At the same time as the strikes, Iran’s senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in Doha meeting Qatar’s prime minister to discuss a possible agreement with the United States aimed at ending the conflict.
Despite the renewed military action, Trump said negotiations were progressing positively, though he warned Iran against delaying or rejecting a final deal.
Trump Pushes Expansion Of Abraham Accords
On Monday, Trump said talks with Iran were going “nicely” but stressed that failure to reach an agreement could trigger further military action.
“It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all,” he wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social.
Trump also argued that any agreement connected to ending the Iran conflict should include wider regional participation in the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalisation agreements signed during his first term.
He named Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan among the countries he believes should join the framework. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first nations to sign the Abraham Accords in 2020.
While Egypt, Jordan and Turkey already maintain formal ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia has continued to insist that any normalisation process must include a clear roadmap toward Palestinian statehood. Pakistan has also not established diplomatic relations with Israel.
“After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.
Trump further revealed that he had raised the proposal with regional leaders during negotiations held on Saturday.
He said he would accept “one or two” countries declining to sign, but said most should be willing.
