United States President Donald Trump has said efforts to recover uranium from Iran would be “long and difficult,” following last year’s strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities.
Trump made the remark late Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he defended the outcome of the US military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.
He described the operation, codenamed Midnight Hammer, as having completely destroyed the targeted facilities, noting that any attempt to retrieve materials from the sites would be challenging.
According to him, the strikes had resulted in the dispersal of what he often refers to as “nuclear dust,” a term he uses for Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
The US government has repeatedly accused Iran of stockpiling enriched uranium with the aim of developing nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran has consistently denied.
Trump also reiterated his position that Iran’s uranium stockpile could eventually be secured and moved to the United States, despite denials from Iran’s foreign ministry.
The development comes amid heightened tensions following joint military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.
The strikes were aimed at neutralising what Israeli authorities described as a growing nuclear threat posed by Tehran.
Israeli officials have claimed that Iran intensified efforts to develop nuclear capabilities after a 12-day conflict last June, during which key nuclear installations, including an enrichment facility, were targeted by US and Israeli forces.
The situation continues to raise concerns over regional stability and the future of nuclear non-proliferation efforts in the Middle East.
