‘No dust, no deal’: Trump admin says Iran must surrender uranium stockpile before sanctions relief
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday, May 24, sought to clarify that a proposed framework agreement with Iran remains under negotiation and would not include immediate sanctions relief unless Tehran agrees to surrender its enriched uranium stockpile.
The clarification came a day after Trump announced that a broader memorandum of understanding between the United States, Iran, and regional countries had been “largely negotiated.”
Senior administration officials stressed that several critical details remain unresolved, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear material and enforcement mechanisms tied to any future agreement.
Trump demands uranium surrender before sanctions relief
White House officials repeatedly emphasized that Iran would not receive financial relief unless it complies with strict nuclear conditions under the proposed agreement. Speaking to reporters, a senior administration official summarized the administration’s position with the phrase: “No dust, no deal.”
The official added, “If they do nothing, they get nothing. If they do a lot, they can actually get a lot,” referring to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The administration also sought to distinguish the emerging agreement from former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump has repeatedly criticized.
“There will be no pallets of cash (and) no other relief for opening the strait,” the official said, referencing the Obama-era transfer of funds to Iran.
Trump also pushed back against criticism from conservatives and Israel supporters who raised concerns about the proposed framework. “Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about. Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals!”
Officials said negotiations currently center on how Iran would dispose of its enriched uranium stockpile, with political considerations complicating discussions. “No one disputes that the stockpiled enriched material will be disposed of. It’s a question about how,” the senior official said.
Strait of Hormuz reopening linked to Iran deal
The proposed framework would reportedly include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports while broader nuclear negotiations continue.
Trump said that the strait would reopen as part of the deal, which he said had been negotiated with assistance from regional mediators and allies.
According to Fox News, a senior administration official told former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany that the agreement could still take “five, six, or even seven days” to finalize.
Administration officials, however, argued that Iran’s leadership appears motivated to avoid further military conflict after nearly three months of war. “Most people in the Iranian system don’t love the deal, but they also don’t like the idea of going back to war,” one senior official said.
