Key insights
- Trump stated the US will work with Iran to recover enriched uranium, referencing 'nuclear dust' from alleged prior bombings. This unexpected cooperation could ease geopolitical tensions slightly, but the plan's feasibility and potential impact on existing sanctions remain uncertain, posing a minor negative risk to market sentiment due to the inherent instability of the region.
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. will work with Iran to recover its enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States.
"We're going to get it together. We're going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery... We'll bring it back to the United States," Trump said during a phone interview.
He referred to "nuclear dust" and added that it would be retrieved "very soon."
Trump's mention of "nuclear dust" is a reference to what he believes remains after the United States and Israel bombed Iran's nuclear installations in June last year.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Katharine Jackson; editing by Michelle Nichols)