President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Iran has committed to halting the development of nuclear weapons and will hand over the radioactive material—enriched uranium—buried underground following U.S. attacks with B-2 Spirit bombers.
"The key issue is ensuring Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon, and they have agreed to that. Iran has agreed to that very strongly," Trump stated to reporters.
The president further mentioned that Tehran also promised to return what he referred to as "nuclear dust":
"They have agreed to return the nuclear dust that is deep underground due to the attack we conducted with the B-2 bombers," he emphasized.
Trump expressed optimism about the direction of the negotiations: "We have a lot of agreement with Iran, and I believe something very positive is going to happen."
These statements come just days after the collapse of peace talks held in Islamabad from April 10 to 12, where the U.S. delegation—led by Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—failed to secure a deal after 21 hours of negotiations.
During those discussions, Washington demanded the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium, whereas Iran only offered a five-year pause and demanded $270 billion in war damage compensation.
After the breakdown of the talks, Trump ordered a total naval blockade of Iranian ports, which took effect on April 13. Within the first 48 hours, nine merchant ships were turned around, and at least eight tankers complied without needing to be boarded.
Vance had previously warned, "We have not seen a fundamental commitment from Iran to abstain from developing nuclear weapons in the long term; it's worse news for them than for us."
The "nuclear dust" Trump refers to is the enriched uranium buried after Operation Midnight Hammer, executed on June 22, 2025, when seven B-2 Spirit bombers attacked the Fordow underground facility—located 90 meters deep—with 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs, and at that time, the president declared Fordow eliminated.
Following that operation, the joint U.S.-Israel offensive named Operation Epic Fury, initiated on February 28, 2026, destroyed nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, resulting in the death of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 1.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in March 2026 that Iran possessed 5,500 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, enough to build nine nuclear bombs.
However, Trump's claims on Thursday have yet to receive official confirmation from Iran and contrast with Tehran's position documented just 48 hours earlier, where Iranian sources rejected handing over all of their highly enriched uranium, though they showed more flexibility regarding the enrichment level.
Trump also hinted at the possibility of signing an agreement in Islamabad and suggested that the war is "very close to ending," while the U.S. announced the deployment of an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East.
Understanding the Current Iran Nuclear Situation
What did Trump claim about Iran's nuclear program?
Trump claimed that Iran has agreed to halt its nuclear weapons program and return radioactive material buried after U.S. attacks.
What is the significance of the "nuclear dust" Trump mentioned?
The "nuclear dust" refers to enriched uranium buried after Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S. military action against Iran's Fordow facility.
Why did the recent peace talks in Islamabad fail?
The talks failed because the U.S. demanded the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium, which Iran was unwilling to agree to, offering only a five-year pause and demanding compensation instead.