Washington, DC [US], June 6 (ANI): US President Donald Trump has revealed that he weighed, but ultimately dismissed, a military blueprint to deploy American troops into Iran for the extraction of its enriched uranium stockpile, amid the sudden re-emergence of the West Asia conflict, while delicate diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain ongoing.
According to Trump, the proposed cross-border operation was ultimately deemed 'too risky' and would have necessitated a massive military mobilisation. The US President noted that the complex mission would have required a minimum of two weeks to execute, involving the logistical movement of substantial quantities of military hardware directly into Iranian territory.
Referring to the sensitive nuclear material as 'nuclear dust', Trump stated that Pentagon planners had thoroughly investigated various methodologies to recover the assets.
Despite mothballing the active military plan, the US President asserted that Washington still possesses the sheer force capability to execute such an operation. 'We could get it right now,' Trump declared, adding, 'I don't think they could stop us if we wanted, but there's no reason to. It's entombed.' He further suggested that the material is currently secure and does not demand immediate intervention, while asserting that Washington does not require a formal diplomatic accord with Tehran to take possession of the enriched uranium.
The US President has also expressed a strong disinclination to hold a face-to-face meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. However, Trump conceded that such a high-level summit could manifest if Washington and Tehran successfully finalise a broader diplomatic framework. 'If it happened ... I'd be respectful,' he noted.
The 54-year-old Islamic cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei, ascended to the position of Iran's supreme leader following the killing of his father in a joint US-Israeli military strike. Trump observed that despite precision American and Israeli operations targeting multiple members of Khamenei's immediate family, he still anticipated professional conduct from the Iranian leader. 'We killed his father, his wife and his son, so I'm probably not his favourite person... But in some circles, he has a very good reputation, actually,' Trump remarked.
Even as these hardline statements were being delivered, a report published by Axios indicated that senior US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner journeyed to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Thursday to hold consultations with technical specialists earmarked to play a pivotal role in upcoming nuclear negotiations with Iran. The White House is actively pursuing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tehran to halt the ongoing hostilities and initiate comprehensive nuclear talks. However, American officials and regional mediators privy to the talks disclosed that both administrations remain deeply polarised over critical components of the proposed pact.
While these high-stakes negotiations are reportedly in their final phase, the probability of securing a definitive breakthrough remains highly volatile. A US official cautioned that the high-level delegation to Oak Ridge did not guarantee a successful pact but acknowledged it as a concrete indicator that the negotiations had entered a serious stage.
But deep-seated friction points continue to stall the diplomatic process. The Trump administration has aggressively pushed for a strict 60-day deadline for down-blending Iran's enriched uranium, whereas Tehran is unyielding in its demand for a 90-day window.
Reflecting the internal strain within the negotiations, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader told CNN that the diplomatic channel had hit a significant roadblock concerning the frozen assets worth USD 24 billion, explicitly stating that 'the ball is in Trump's court'. (ANI)
