WASHINGTON, Apr 17 — U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Friday that Iran has “agreed to everything” for a peace deal including working with Washington to remove its enriched uranium without the involvement of U.S. ground troops.
“No. No troops,” he said in a phone interview with CBS News.
However, when asked who would retrieve Iran’s uranium, Trump said “our people.”
“We’ll go down and get it with them, and then we’ll take it,” Trump said.
“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. We would have done it the other way if we had to,” he said.
Trump also said Iran has agreed to stop backing groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
He said the two sides are meeting this weekend and that the United States would continue its blockade against Iranian ports “until we get it done.”
Trump told Bloomberg earlier on Friday that a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is mostly complete as talks over a lasting peace deal will “probably” be held this weekend in Pakistan.
The United States and Iran had their first round of negotiations in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Saturday and early Sunday to ease tension in the Middle East. The talks, which failed to produce an agreement, took place after a ceasefire was announced on April 8 between Iran, the United States and Israel, following 40 days of fighting.
Iran tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on the country on Feb. 28. The United States also imposed a naval blockade on the strait following the failed negotiations in Islamabad.
Earlier on Friday, both Washington and Tehran confirmed that the strait had been completely open for all commercial vessels. However, Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. naval blockade would “remain in full force.” In response, Iran warned of closing the waterway again if the U.S. blockade continues.