President Donald Trump said Monday that the “right people” in Iran have reached out seeking to “make a deal — very badly” after talks collapsed over the weekend, insisting Tehran will “never” be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon as the United States simultaneously moved forward with a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports to increase pressure.
He added that the United States intends to recover Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile — referring to it as “the dust” — saying, “we’re going to get it back… either we’ll get it back from them or we’ll take it.”
Trump also expressed confidence Tehran would ultimately concede, saying, “I think they will agree to it. I’m almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it.”
The remarks come after Trump said late Sunday that he was unconcerned whether or not Iran returned to talks, underscoring his position that Tehran lacks leverage following the failed negotiations.
The U.S. blockade, which began at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Monday, targets vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports while allowing ships to continue transiting the Strait of Hormuz so long as they are not engaging with Iran, according to U.S. Central Command.
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