Trump threatens renewed military action as Iran talks collapse over nuclear demands

Iranian officials also refused to surrender enriched uranium stockpiles as part of any future agreement.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Trump said Monday he is considering renewed military action against Iran after negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed over Iranian demands that US officials rejected.

Speaking to Fox News one day before the expiration of a US ultimatum for an agreement, Trump said Iranian negotiators asked the United States to remove radioactive material from Iran’s bombed nuclear facilities because Tehran lacked the technology to dispose of it safely.

“The Iranian negotiating team told me that the United States would have to remove radioactive material from Iran’s destroyed nuclear facilities,” Trump said. “They admitted Tehran simply lacks the technology to dispose of it safely. They want us to handle it for them.”

Trump said he was weighing further military operations if diplomacy failed to produce a breakthrough.

Later Monday, Trump described the Gulf ceasefire as being “in critical condition” while criticizing the Iranian proposal submitted during negotiations.

“It was simply a bad proposal, a stupid proposal, made by people who have no understanding of the danger they are in,” Trump said. “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. That is our simple plan.”

He also said, “There is no pressure at all. We are already in total victory. But the document we waited four days for is simply ridiculous.”

During an Oval Office event on maternal health, Trump told reporters that military officials were briefing him on Iran-related developments.

“A large group of generals is waiting for me, and that’s important too. It concerns the beautiful country of Iran,” he said.

According to official reports from Tehran cited in the material, Iran refused to compromise during negotiations mediated by Pakistan and repeated demands including war reparations from the United States, removal of all sanctions without nuclear concessions, and formal American recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

The material stated that Iranian officials also refused to surrender enriched uranium stockpiles as part of any future agreement.

Trump said the United States continued monitoring those stockpiles and warned military operations could resume.

“It is not accurate to say that combat operations are over,” Trump said. “Iran was defeated, but that does not mean they are finished.”