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Trump: Iran’s Enriched Uranium to Be ‘Immediately Turned’ Over to U.S. or Destroyed in Iran

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President Donald Trump explained in a Truth Social post on Monday that Iran’s enriched uranium would either be “immediately turned over” to the United States or would be destroyed “in place” in Iran.

In the post, Trump said that if the enriched uranium was not turned over to the U.S. to be “destroyed,” it would be “destroyed in place” in Iran or at another location.

“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,” Trump said.

Trump’s post comes after a New York Times report on Saturday said that “two U.S. officials” revealed that Iran had “committed in broad terms to surrendering the near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile,” Breitbart News’s Joshua Klein reported:

In a report published late Saturday evening, the New York Times cited two U.S. officials as saying Tehran committed in broad terms to surrendering the near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile — one of the central demands of the Trump administration’s campaign against the Iranian regime and a potentially significant breakthrough after Iranian officials had consistently sought to separate the uranium issue from the initial ceasefire framework and defer it to later negotiations.

(Read more from “Trump: Iran’s Enriched Uranium to Be ‘Immediately Turned’ Over to U.S. or Destroyed in Iran” HERE)

White House: Iran Gets Nothing Unless It Gets Rid Of Its Nuclear Stockpile

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The Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran do not include any pathway for the country to obtain a nuclear weapon, nor will any potential deal give Iran “billions of dollars” in no-strings-attached handouts, a senior administration official said Sunday, despite some Republican warmongers claiming otherwise.

The senior official said that there will be zero resources to Iranians unless and until they give up highly enriched uranium, stating, “no dust, no dollars.”

When reports about a deal with the Iranians came out last week, some hardline Republicans like Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who appear uninterested in seeing an end to the conflict, quickly took to social media to countersignal the deal.

“I am deeply concerned about what we are hearing about an Iran ‘deal,’ being pushed by some voices in the administration,” Cruz said. “If the result of all that [military action] is to be an Iranian regime — still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’ — now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.”

“If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate [sic] force requiring a diplomatic solution,” Graham said. “This combination of Iran being perceived as having the ability to terrorize the Strait in perpetuity and the ability [to] inflict massive damage to Gulf oil infrastructure is a major shift of the balance of power in the region and over time will be a nightmare for Israel.” (Read more from “White House: Iran Gets Nothing Unless It Gets Rid Of Its Nuclear Stockpile” HERE)

Iran Agreed to Surrender Enriched Uranium, End Nuclear Ambitions in Tentative Deal with Trump: Reports

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Multiple reports have indicated that U.S. negotiators believe that Iran has committed to giving up its nuclear ambitions and its highly enriched uranium as a part of a broader peace deal with President Donald Trump.

On Saturday afternoon, President Trump announced that an “agreement has been largely negotiated” between Washington and Tehran. However, Mr Trump said that the final details of the deal were still being discussed and would not be made public at the time.

According to a report from the New York Times, citing “two U.S. officials”, the Islamist regime in Iran verbally agreed to U.S. negotiators that it would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Although exactly how the nuclear material would be removed from the country remains unclear, such an agreement would fulfil a longstanding and major aim of the White House.

While the Islamist regime has yeet to confirm any details and has a spotty track record of following through on its commitments, an agreement would also likely shore up support from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, some of whom have expressed scepticism about coming to any agreement with the Mullahs. (Read more from “Iran Agreed to Surrender Enriched Uranium, End Nuclear Ambitions in Tentative Deal with Trump: Reports” HERE)

Speaker Johnson Calls off Vote on Iran War Resolution that was on the Verge of Passing

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Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.

The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump’s military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. It was the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for a war that Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval.

“We had the votes without question and they knew it, and as a result they’re playing a political game,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), who sponsored the bill.

Republicans in the Senate are also working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution that advanced to a final vote earlier this week, when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.

The actions by congressional leaders showed Republicans are struggling to maintain political backing for Trump’s handling of the war. Rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict. (Read more from “Speaker Johnson Calls off Vote on Iran War Resolution that was on the Verge of Passing” HERE)

‘A World Without America’: U.S., Israel Reportedly Floated Installing Ex-Iranian President as New Leader

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In the opening days of the Iran War, the United States and Israel were reportedly considering an unlikely choice as a potential new leader for Iran, according to The New York Times.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was viewed as a favorable choice to replace the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the NYT reported, citing anonymous U.S. officials. Ahmadinejad was injured when Israeli airstrikes intended to free him from house arrest failed, the outlet reported.

Ahmadinejad has been an ardent anti-U.S. critic, according to public statements that he made in the past.

He called called for “a world without America,” on Oct. 26, 2005, at a conference in Tehran titled The World without Zionism, according to a congressional resolution passed on Jan. 27, 2006.

“As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map,” Ahmadinejad said in reference to statements by Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini at the conference, Al Jazeera reported.

(Read more from “‘A World Without America’: U.S., Israel Reportedly Floated Installing Ex-Iranian President as New Leader” HERE)

US Used over Half its THAAD Interceptors Defending Israel from Iran

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The U.S. used more than half of its THAAD anti-missile interceptor inventory defending Israel from Iranian attacks during the war, according to reports.
The Washington Post reported the U.S. also used more than 100 SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors, while Israel used fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors.

Citing an official, the outlet reported that if fighting resumes with Iran, the U.S. would likely need to use even more interceptors because the IDF has sent some missile defense batteries for maintenance.

“Israel is not capable of fighting and winning wars on its own, but nobody actually knows this because they never see the back end,” the official said.

The Pentagon denied there was any issue with sharing resources with Israel, saying, “Ballistic missile interceptors are just one tool in a vast network of systems and capabilities.” (Read more from “US Used over Half its THAAD Interceptors Defending Israel from Iran” HERE)

Report Finds That Iran Downed 42 U.S. Jets as War Costs Top $29 Billion

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According to a congressional report, the U.S. has lost or damaged 42 aircraft in the Iran War, raising the Department of War’s cost estimate for the operations to $29 billion.

The report comes days after Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III testified during a May 12 hearing that the department’s cost estimate for military operations in Iran has increased to $29 billion.

Three F-15E Strike Eagles brought down by friendly fire over Kuwait were confirmed to have caused an estimated $300 million in damage on their own. The report, filed by the Congressional Research Service, confirmed earlier headlines about the cost of the jets that were brought down over Kuwait in March. . .

Four of them are listed as F-15E Strike Eagles – an older model with costly replacement parts. One F-15E Strike Eagle costs roughly $90 to $125 million per unit, according to Air Force estimates. Three of these models were shot down in Kuwait in friendly fire, while one shot down over Iran as the U.S. and Israel scrambled to pick up the pilots and crew unharmed.

The military also lost one F-35A Lightning II, worth approximately $82.5 million, an A-10 Thunderbolt II (often called the “Warthog”), worth approximately $13.4 million, and seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, with each one ranging from $65 million to $79 million. (Read more from “Report Finds That Iran Downed 42 U.S. Fighter Jets as War Costs Top $29 Billion” HERE)

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Trump: “Iran better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE”

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Regional intelligence officials believe Iran is preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump could resume military strikes against the Islamic Republic as early as this week amid growing frustration with Tehran’s conduct and its refusal to abandon nuclear ambitions, Fox News reports.

According to the report, the prevailing assessment inside Iran is that Trump may decide to restart military action, leading Tehran to pursue what officials described as a strategy of “deception and delay” aimed at buying time and complicating any renewed military campaign.

The officials told Fox News that Iranian leaders believe they can stretch the crisis out for at least two more weeks, potentially making it more difficult for the US to restart military operations both politically and operationally.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Trump spoke on Sunday about developments with Iran. “For Iran, the Clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the call.

Trump’s post featured a map of the Middle East and Central Asia, with the entire region overlaid with the pattern of the United States flag. The country of Iran is highlighted at the center of the map with a dozen red arrows pointing directly at the Islamic Republic. Later Trump said Iran “should be afraid” of him in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13. 

In response Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the United States must either accept Tehran’s conditions or “surrender to our missiles.”

Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting with his top national security team on Tuesday to discuss options for military action.

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Hackers have Breached Tank Readers at US Gas Stations; Officials Suspect Iran is Responsible

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US officials suspect Iranian hackers are behind a series of breaches of systems that monitor the amount of fuel in storage tanks serving gas stations in multiple states, according to multiple sources briefed on the activity.

The hackers responsible have exploited automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were sitting online and unprotected by passwords, allowing them in some cases to tinker with display readings on the tanks but not the actual levels of fuel in them, the sources said.

The cyber intrusions are not known to have caused physical damage or harm, but the breaches have raised safety concerns because gaining access to an ATG could, in theory, allow a hacker to make a gas leak go undetected, according to private experts and US officials.

The sources briefed on the investigation said Iran’s history of targeting the gas tank systems is one reason the country is a top suspect. But, the sources cautioned, the US government may not be able to definitively determine who was responsible because of a lack of forensic evidence left by the hackers. (Read more from “Hackers have Breached Tank Readers at US Gas Stations; Officials Suspect Iran is Responsible” HERE)

Multiple Oil Spills May Plague The Persian Gulf Because Of Iran War

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The Iran War’s effects are moving past economics and into the environment.

Multiple instances of what appear to be oil spills have occurred this week in the Persian Gulf, Reuters reported. One apparent spill appears to be emanating from Kharg Island, while another spill appears to be streaming behind an ADNOC Logistics & Services oil tanker that was hit by Iranian drones on May 4.

The images are probably indicative of oil slicks, Reuters reported, citing Louis Goddard, co-founder of Data Desk, a climate- and commodities-focused consultant.

“The ADNOC Logistics & Services vessel Barakah remains at anchor off the coast of Oman ​after being impacted by two Iranian drones on May 4,” Reuters reported, citing an ADNOC company spokesperson. “A small amount of what is understood to be bunker fuel was unfortunately released as a result of the incident.”

The Barakah is classified as a crude oil tanker, according to MarineTraffic. It remains unclear how much fuel leaked into the Persian Gulf from the vessel. (Read more from “Multiple Oil Spills May Plague The Persian Gulf Because Of Iran War” HERE)

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