Trump says US will recover Iran's enriched uranium and resume talks

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States will work with Iran to recover the country's enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States. Speaking in a phone interview with Reuters, Trump described a plan to enter Iran at a "nice leisurely pace" and use heavy machinery to excavate what he referred to as "nuclear dust," adding that the retrieval would happen "very soon." The announcement comes as part of ongoing peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz now reopened to international traffic following months of naval blockade. Iran is believed to possess more than 900 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity, a capability linked to nuclear weapons development. The nuclear issue has been one of the most contentious points in the negotiations, which failed to produce an agreement during talks held in Islamabad, Pakistan, last weekend. A Pakistani source involved in mediating between the two sides said there has been progress in backdoor diplomacy, with an upcoming meeting potentially resulting in a memorandum of understanding followed by a comprehensive deal within 60 days. Trump indicated he is considering traveling to Islamabad if a deal is successfully reached, stating the negotiations are moving quickly and that the U.S. is "getting along very well with Iran." The current negotiations follow U.S. and Israeli military strikes that bombed Iran's nuclear installations in June of last year, which Trump cited as the reason for his administration's war with Iran. While reports suggested the U.S. would release approximately $20 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for Iran giving up its enriched uranium stockpile, Trump refuted these claims, stating: "It's totally false. No money is changing hands." The naval blockade on Iranian ports will remain in effect until negotiations are "100% concluded," though the Strait of Hormuz itself is now fully open for international commerce and free passage, according to Trump's Truth Social post.