President Trump announced Friday that he is preparing to make a final decision on a proposed agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and potentially involve American participation in removing and destroying Iran’s remaining enriched uranium reserves.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that any agreement must ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, indicating that the United States would oversee the elimination of uranium buried at Iranian nuclear sites damaged during last year’s military campaign.

“The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States … in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED,” he wrote.

Trump further asserted that the United States possesses unique capabilities necessary for such an operation.

“He also noted that ‘it is agreed’ that the US ‘is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability’ of extracting the uranium.”

Questions remain about whether the destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium is actually part of the proposed agreement. White House descriptions of the draft accord released Thursday did not include any commitment by Tehran to eliminate its existing stockpile.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to an additional understanding still being negotiated or a provision already included in the draft framework.

Iranian officials quickly pushed back on Trump’s characterization of the proposal. The semi-official Fars news agency dismissed the president’s comments as a “mixture of truth and falsehood” used in an “attempt to portray a fabricated victory.”

Despite the disagreement over details, the proposed accord would represent the most significant diplomatic development since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. Those operations were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, degrading its military and missile infrastructure, and increasing pressure on the ruling regime.

According to the memorandum of understanding put forward by the Trump administration, the cease-fire would be extended for an additional 60 days, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would resume, and both sides would continue negotiations over unresolved nuclear issues, including future limits on uranium enrichment.

Trump reiterated what he described as a non-negotiable requirement for any deal.

“Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”

He also said Iran would lose the ability to collect fees from vessels traveling through the strategic waterway, guaranteeing “unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions.”

Addressing security concerns in the region, Trump stated that mines in the waterway would be removed.

“All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated (we have removed, through detonation, numerous such mines with our great underwater mine sweepers,” he added.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear activities are intended solely for civilian purposes and has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons.

Supporters of Trump’s approach argue that previous agreements failed to adequately address Iran’s ability to retain enriched uranium and maintain enrichment capabilities. They point to the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated by President Barack Obama, which stated that Tehran “will ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” but did not require the complete dismantling of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure.

For that reason, Trump has focused on the complete removal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and preventing the country from restoring enrichment operations in the future.

Although Trump said he was heading to the Situation Room to decide whether to move forward with the agreement, some of his comments suggested that at least one element of the proposal may already have been settled.

“Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’” he said. “Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!”

Iran has reportedly insisted that the blockade be lifted before it reopens the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fars, leading some observers to interpret Trump’s remarks as an effort to satisfy that demand.

At the same time, Iranian officials continued to project confidence and signaled that pressure, rather than negotiations, had brought Washington to the table. Fars reported claims that Tehran would extract concessions from the United States “not through dialogue, but with missiles.”

Earlier Friday, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, cautioned that Tehran would judge any agreement solely by actions rather than promises.

“We do not trust guarantees and words, only actions are the criterion. No action will be taken before the other side acts,” Qalibaf said in a post to X.

He also issued a cryptic warning about the balance between diplomacy and military readiness.

“In negotiations, we merely make them understand,” he said without adding context. “The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war from the day after.”

The White House confirmed Thursday that the proposal remains under active consideration. If approved, it would launch a new round of negotiations focused on broader questions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.

Iran is reportedly seeking extensive sanctions relief, a reduction of the American military presence in the region, and an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon as part of any long-term agreement.

Trump indicated that financial concessions are not currently part of the package.

“No money will be exchanged, until further notice.”

His statement suggested that economic relief and other financial arrangements could be deferred to future negotiations.

The latest developments come as Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Washington on Friday for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Pakistan has been playing a key intermediary role in efforts to broker an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

{Matzav.com}