Trump says US will ‘take’ Iran’s uranium; Tehran hits back: ‘As sacred as our soil’

US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said Washington would remove enriched uranium from Iran as part of ongoing talks, asserting that both sides would carry out the process together. Tehran, however, quickly dismissed the claim, insisting it would not allow any transfer of nuclear material.

The sharp exchange comes at a sensitive point in negotiations between the two countries over Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security, with both sides publicly projecting conflicting positions even as talks continue behind closed doors.

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Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Arizona, Trump described a joint operation with Iran to extract and transport enriched uranium to the United States. “We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators. We need the biggest excavators you can imagine. But we’re going in together with Iran, we’re going to get it, and we’re going to take it back home to the USA,” he said.

He also referred to earlier military actions, stating, “The USA will get all nuclear dust…That white powdery substance created by our B-2 bombers, those great B-2 bombers, late one evening, seven months ago. No money will exchange hands in any way or form…Iran, with the help of the USA, has removed or is removing all of the sea mines…They will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump has repeatedly maintained that Tehran has agreed to key terms in the negotiations, including halting support to groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. He said discussions would continue over the weekend and expressed confidence that an agreement could be finalised soon, adding there were no remaining “sticking points”.

In remarks to CBS, Trump dismissed the idea of deploying American troops. “No. No troops,” he said. “We’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it. We’ll be getting it together because by that time, we’ll have an agreement, and there’s no need for fighting when there’s an agreement. Nice right? That’s better.” He also indicated that US pressure on Iranian ports would continue “until we get it done”.

Iran rejects US assertion, calls uranium ‘as sacred as soil’

Iran, however, rejected the US President’s assertions outright. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would not permit any transfer of enriched uranium under any circumstances. “Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil and will not be transferred anywhere under any circumstances,” he was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency, according to Al Jazeera.

Baghaei also criticised Washington’s messaging around maritime security, particularly remarks related to the Strait of Hormuz. He described US statements as contradictory and reflective of “desperation and helplessness”.

“We should not be influenced by the other side’s tweets,” he said. “The statements by American officials are filled with contradictions and lies, and this is nothing new.”

He added that decisions regarding the strategic waterway are determined by ground realities, not public commentary. “The opening or closing of the Strait of Hormuz does not happen on social media, but on the ground,” he said.

The latest round of statements underscores the widening gap in public narratives between Washington and Tehran, even as diplomatic engagement continues amid heightened regional tensions