US and Iran appear to postpone uranium talks - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
The parties decided to discuss highly enriched uranium stockpiles later due to the complexity of the topic. Trump called the removal of the material a PR stunt while the war continues.
The US and Iran appear to have sidelined negotiations regarding Tehran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium in an effort to end the war, with both sides believing the issue is worth discussing later, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
The Nuclear Issue
Iran stated it has "reached an agreement with the Americans" to postpone this topic until later stages of negotiations, calling it "very complicated," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a press conference in India on Friday.
Araghchi also noted, as reported by Reuters, that Tehran "does not trust" the US and is interested in talks with Washington only under the condition of seriousness.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump stated he is ready to send American troops to remove Iranian uranium "at the right time," hinting that it is unlikely to be an imminent operation.
Earlier in an interview with Fox News, Trump stated that the US goal regarding the removal of highly enriched uranium from Iran is "more for PR than anything else," while simultaneously reaffirming his commitment to the removal of the nuclear material.
Trump stated that the mission to remove the uranium, which is believed to be buried under the rubble of bombed nuclear facilities, could be considered unnecessary because the US maintains 24-hour surveillance. "We have nine cameras on that site, on those three sites, 24 hours a day," Trump said. "We know exactly what's going on. Nobody has even come close to it."
Nevertheless, according to the US President, he would ultimately prefer to remove the material from the country. "Actually, I'd just feel better if I had it," Trump said. "But, I think it's more for PR than anything else."
Trump also raised the issue of re-bombing the facility to ensure it remains inaccessible.
The status of the nuclear material has become a stumbling block in ongoing negotiations with Iran's leadership to end the war. The US President stated that there was a "back-and-forth" in which Iran agreed to hand over the material and then backed out of that deal later during the talks. "They agreed to it, but then they took it back, but they did agree," Trump said.
Iran's highly enriched uranium, which is in an unknown location following a brief US and Israeli attack on the country in June, remains one of many unresolved issues hindering a final agreement to end the 11-week war. Tehran's broader nuclear program and the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway are other issues, and there are no signs that an understanding is close, Bloomberg writes.
What Beijing Has to Do With It
Earlier in Beijing, Trump stated that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping share common goals regarding the resolution of the conflict, namely: Iran must not have nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened. He did not ask Xi to influence Iran to facilitate movement through the strait but predicted that the Chinese leader would do so.
When it came to Iran, the US may have touted agreement, but Beijing appears to have given Trump the absolute minimum, analyst Craig Singleton told NBC News.
Beijing's agreement to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and its statement that Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons cost China "very little," said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow and China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
"These rhetorical commitments cost China very little," Singleton said in comments to NBC News. "The hardest test is whether Beijing pressures Tehran, restricts Chinese purchases of Iranian oil, or helps Washington turn general language into visible results."
"So far, China seems willing to support de-escalation in principle, rather than implementing Trump's Iran policy in practice," he added.
As Bloomberg points out, China, Iran's largest oil buyer and a key diplomatic partner, has approached the conflict cautiously, with the foreign ministry stating that disputes over Iran's nuclear program should be resolved through dialogue. Beijing also has large investments in several Gulf countries and has so far not spent much diplomatic effort seeking a solution.
Asked if Tehran is open to mediation by Beijing, Araghchi, as reported by Reuters, replied that Iran values the efforts of any country that has the ability to help. "We have very good relations with China," he said. "We are strategic partners, and we know the Chinese have good intentions. So anything they can do to facilitate diplomacy would be welcomed."
Araghchi added: "We hope that as negotiations progress, we will reach a good result so that the Strait of Hormuz can be fully protected, and we can speed up the normalization of traffic through it."
Araghchi also indicated that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those "at war" with Tehran, provided they coordinate their actions with the Iranian Navy. But the situation surrounding the waterway, vital to global energy and commodity markets, was "very complicated," he added.
The Oil Issue and the Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, the price of Brent crude rose 2.4% to over $108 per barrel, extending its gains since the start of the war to 50%. Stocks and bonds fell as high energy prices fueled fears of global inflation.
Iran maintains a degree of control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the conflict began in late February. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency stated on Thursday that Chinese vessels would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following talks with Beijing.
The US, which has been blocking Iran's ports to prevent oil exports, stated it has stopped 72 commercial vessels that wanted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since establishing its own restrictions.
Reopening the waterway has been a key task for the US since a truce was reached between Washington and Tehran about five weeks ago. But Iran insists it controls traffic through the maritime choke point as part of any peace deal, raising concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy exports from the Persian Gulf.
In Beijing, Trump wavered between threats of further attacks on Iran, including in a Truth Social post between meetings with Xi, and insisting that the US does not rely on energy imports through the Strait of Hormuz.
"They need the strait more than we do, they need it open, we don't, we don't need it at all," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. The US is "doing it to help Israel and Saudi Arabia" and other Gulf allies. "It also helps China," he said.
The United Arab Emirates stated it would double its capacity to export oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz by next year, seeking to reduce dependence on this shipping choke point.
The Gulf nation shocked the oil world last month with its exit from the Saudi-dominated OPEC cartel. The move came after the UAE tried to convince neighboring states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to participate in a coordinated military response to Iranian strikes and was frustrated when they refused, according to people familiar with the matter.
There are signs of increasing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, although it remains unclear whether the US Navy will allow vessels plying the waterway to leave the area. Vitol Group is offering clients Iraqi oil from Basra, a sign that some shipments may have successfully exited the Persian Gulf, people familiar with the matter said.