US President Donald Trump has said that Iran has agreed not only to refrain from developing nuclear weapons but also from acquiring them through any means, describing the commitment as a significant shift in the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Speaking to reporters, Trump said securing a guarantee that Iran would not possess nuclear weapons remained his top priority and suggested that a broader agreement could pave the way for the immediate reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/days-from-possible-breakthrough-trump-sends-iran-deal-back-for-revision-wants-stricter-nuclear-and-hormuz-clauses-report-1780209002263">Days from possible breakthrough, Trump sends Iran deal back for revision</a>“I would rather get a deal, because we can open the Strait immediately upon signing. The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. According to Trump, Iran initially agreed only that it would not develop a nuclear weapon. However, he said the language was later expanded following discussions over the possibility of Tehran obtaining such weapons from external sources.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 JUST IN: President Trump reveals IRAN HAS AGREED to NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS The terms: &quot;We will not develop or in any way purchase a nuclear weapon.&quot; &quot;WE&#39;RE GETTING WHAT WE WANT.&quot; &quot;I&#39;m in NO HURRY...gasoline prices will tumble down, but if I&#39;m in a hurry, I won&#39;t make a good… <a href="https://t.co/6OKCRahEjn">pic.twitter.com/6OKCRahEjn</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2060891803486650531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“They originally said we would not develop a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “I said, well, what happens if you buy a nuclear weapon? So now it says we will not develop or in any way purchase a military weapon. That’s a big difference.” Trump added that negotiations had been challenging but were moving in the direction sought by the United States. “We’re getting what we want slowly, very tough negotiators, and it takes a long time, but I’m in no hurry,” he said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">&quot;We’ve actually left their military alone — people would be surprised to hear that.&quot; President Trump says Iran&#39;s military hasn&#39;t been hit as aggressively because it&#39;s &quot;somewhat moderate&quot; compared to other elements of the regime. He argues that wiping out &quot;everybody&quot; could cause… <a href="https://t.co/gG84lDSrlD">pic.twitter.com/gG84lDSrlD</a>&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2060903307476967498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The US president also claimed that Washington had largely spared Iran’s conventional military forces while targeting other parts of the country’s leadership structure and military capabilities. “Their navy is totally gone, 100 per cent. Their air force is totally gone, 100 per cent,” Trump said. “Their military, we sort of left it alone, because we think that their military is somewhat, somewhat moderate.”Trump said the United States had instead focused on other elements of Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/video-dutch-police-drag-pregnant-woman-to-ground-during-husband-s-arrest-incident-sparks-outrage-online-1780205868308">VIDEO: Dutch Police toss pregnant woman to ground during husband's arrest</a>“We’ve taken different forms of leadership out, we’ve actually left their military alone. People would be surprised to hear that, because mistakes have been made in wars where you wipe out everybody, and then you have a country that, for 40 years, can never rebuild,” he said.Drawing a comparison with past US military interventions, Trump pointed to Iraq as an example of the long-term consequences of dismantling a country’s institutions.“You look at what happened with Iraq,” he added.

US President Donald Trump said Iran agreed not to develop or purchase nuclear weapons. He linked a potential deal to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and cited Iraq as a warning against dismantling state institutions.

US President Donald Trump has said that Iran has agreed not only to refrain from developing nuclear weapons but also from acquiring them through any means, describing the commitment as a significant shift in the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Speaking to reporters, Trump said securing a guarantee that Iran would not possess nuclear weapons remained his top priority and suggested that a broader agreement could pave the way for the immediate reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Also read: Days from possible breakthrough, Trump sends Iran deal back for revision “I would rather get a deal, because we can open the Strait immediately upon signing. The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. According to Trump, Iran initially agreed only that it would not develop a nuclear weapon. However, he said the language was later expanded following discussions over the possibility of Tehran obtaining such weapons from external sources.

US President Donald Trump said Iran agreed not to develop or purchase nuclear weapons. He linked a potential deal to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and cited Iraq as a warning against dismantling state institutions.

‘What happens if you buy a nuclear weapon?’: Trump claims Iran agrees not to develop or purchase nuclear weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said it was still possible to save the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, despite US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement.&nbsp

"The US president is not closing the door on negotiations," Putin said at the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum. "I think that all is not yet lost," he added.&nbsp

Earlier this month Trump controversially pulled the United States out of the landmark 2015 pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in return for easing economic sanctions.&nbsp

Saving the deal provides a rare point of agreement between Moscow and European countries, which have seen relations tank in recent years over crises in Ukraine and Syria, as well as accusations of meddling in foreign elections and the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain.

Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron launched a joint defence of the Iranian nuclear deal on Monday but expressed differences on how to move forward as Trump weighs up whether to scrap it.

The Kremlin said Putin and Macron were both calling for "strict observance" of the hard-fought 2015 agreement after a phone call between the two leaders.

Macron's office, however, said that while the pair agreed on the need to "preserve the gains from the agreement", the French leader was also pushing for international talks on a potential wider deal.

Trump has derided the Iran deal as "insane" partly because its restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities begin expiring in 2025.

Earlier this month Trump controversially pulled the United States out of the landmark 2015 pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in return for easing economic sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said it was still possible to save the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, despite US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement. "The US president is not closing the door on negotiations," Putin said at the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum. "I think that all is not yet lost," he added. Earlier this month Trump controversially pulled the United States out of the landmark 2015 pact with Iran that placed limits on its nuclear programme in return for easing economic sanctions. Saving the deal provides a rare point of agreement between Moscow and European countries, which have seen relations tank in recent years over crises in Ukraine and Syria, as well as accusations of meddling in foreign elections and the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain. Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron launched a joint defence of the Iranian nuclear deal on Monday but expressed differences on how to move forward as Trump weighs up whether to scrap it. The Kremlin said Putin and Macron were both calling for "strict observance" of the hard-fought 2015 agreement after a phone call between the two leaders. Macron's office, however, said that while the pair agreed on the need to "preserve the gains from the agreement", the French leader was also pushing for international talks on a potential wider deal. Trump has derided the Iran deal as "insane" partly because its restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities begin expiring in 2025.

Putin says 'all is not lost' to save Iran nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord by May 12 but exactly how he will do so remains unclear, two White House officials and a source familiar with the administration's internal debate said on Wednesday.

There is a chance Trump might choose to keep the United States in the international pact under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, in part because of "alliance maintenance" with France and to save face for French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Trump last week and urged him to stay in, the source said.

A decision by Trump to end U.S. sanctions relief would all but sink the agreement and could trigger a backlash by Iran, which could resume its nuclear arms programme or "punish" U.S. allies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, diplomats said.

Technically, Trump must decide by May 12 whether to renew "waivers" suspending some of the US sanctions on Iran. One of the White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was possible Trump will end up with a decision that "is not a full pullout" but was unable to describe what that might look like.

A presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday about what he said was documentary evidence of Tehran's past nuclear arms programme could give Trump a fresh argument to withdraw, even though U.N. inspectors say Iran has complied with the terms of the deal.

Iran has denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and accuses its arch-foe Israel of stirring up world suspicions against it.

The pact between Iran and six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - was among former U.S. President Barack Obama's signature foreign policies but has been described by Trump as "one of the worst deals I have ever witnessed."

The White House official said Trump was "most of the way there towards pulling out of the deal but he hasn't made the decision" and that he "seems poised to do it but until a decision is made by this president it is not final."

Top aides are not seeking aggressively to talk Trump out of withdrawal because he seems intent on it, a second White House official said.

Europeans losing hope

Trump gave Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deal's flaws - its failure to address Iran's ballistic missile programme, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and "sunset" clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose US sanctions.

While European officials continue to work towards such a "fix," they believe the odds are against reaching one.

One of the main sticking points has to do with the "sunsets," where the United States in effect wishes to find a way to extend some of the limits on Iran's nuclear programme beyond their expiration dates under the agreement.

The source familiar with the debate said US negotiators are hamstrung by the fact that they do not really know where Trump's "red line" is and so they cannot tell the Europeans what would secure Trump's blessing.

Trump could refuse to renew the waivers but give new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo time to negotiate more with the Europeans, exploiting the deal's dispute resolution mechanism or the time before the most draconian sanctions take effect.

Several sources familiar with the negotiations said that if Trump pulls out, a question for the Europeans will be whether this would be the start of a much harder US line towards Iran, including military confrontation.

"The Europeans are not keen to be dragged into a regional conflict by the US," said one source familiar with the talks.

Two US intelligence officials said they were particularly concerned about Iranian retaliation in harder-to-trace actions such as cyber attacks on the United States or its allies and attacks on soft targets by people without obvious ties to Tehran.

Such attacks are considered more likely than actions that might trigger a US military response against Iranian nuclear and military targets.

UN chief warns against scrapping Iran nuclear deal

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday against scrapping an international deal on Iran's nuclear programme unless there was a good alternative in place.

"If one day there is a better agreement to replace it it`s fine, but we should not scrap it unless we have a good alternative," Guterres said in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

"I believe the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) was an important diplomatic victory and I think it will be important to preserve it but I also believe there are areas in which it will be very important to have a meaningful dialogue because I see the region in a very dangerous position," he said.

"I understand the concerns of some countries in relation to the Iranian influence in other countries of the region. So I think we should separate things."

US President Donald Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord by May 12, two White House officials and a source said

US President Donald Trump has all but decided to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord by May 12 but exactly how he will do so remains unclear, two White House officials and a source familiar with the administration's internal debate said on Wednesday. There is a chance Trump might choose to keep the United States in the international pact under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, in part because of "alliance maintenance" with France and to save face for French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Trump last week and urged him to stay in, the source said. A decision by Trump to end U.S. sanctions relief would all but sink the agreement and could trigger a backlash by Iran, which could resume its nuclear arms programme or "punish" U.S. allies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, diplomats said. Technically, Trump must decide by May 12 whether to renew "waivers" suspending some of the US sanctions on Iran. One of the White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was possible Trump will end up with a decision that "is not a full pullout" but was unable to describe what that might look like. A presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday about what he said was documentary evidence of Tehran's past nuclear arms programme could give Trump a fresh argument to withdraw, even though U.N. inspectors say Iran has complied with the terms of the deal. Iran has denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and accuses its arch-foe Israel of stirring up world suspicions against it. The pact between Iran and six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - was among former U.S. President Barack Obama's signature foreign policies but has been described by Trump as "one of the worst deals I have ever witnessed." The White House official said Trump was "most of the way there towards pulling out of the deal but he hasn't made the decision" and that he "seems poised to do it but until a decision is made by this president it is not final." Top aides are not seeking aggressively to talk Trump out of withdrawal because he seems intent on it, a second White House official said. Europeans losing hope Trump gave Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deal's flaws - its failure to address Iran's ballistic missile programme, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and "sunset" clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose US sanctions. While European officials continue to work towards such a "fix," they believe the odds are against reaching one. One of the main sticking points has to do with the "sunsets," where the United States in effect wishes to find a way to extend some of the limits on Iran's nuclear programme beyond their expiration dates under the agreement. The source familiar with the debate said US negotiators are hamstrung by the fact that they do not really know where Trump's "red line" is and so they cannot tell the Europeans what would secure Trump's blessing. Trump could refuse to renew the waivers but give new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo time to negotiate more with the Europeans, exploiting the deal's dispute resolution mechanism or the time before the most draconian sanctions take effect. Several sources familiar with the negotiations said that if Trump pulls out, a question for the Europeans will be whether this would be the start of a much harder US line towards Iran, including military confrontation. "The Europeans are not keen to be dragged into a regional conflict by the US," said one source familiar with the talks. Two US intelligence officials said they were particularly concerned about Iranian retaliation in harder-to-trace actions such as cyber attacks on the United States or its allies and attacks on soft targets by people without obvious ties to Tehran. Such attacks are considered more likely than actions that might trigger a US military response against Iranian nuclear and military targets. UN chief warns against scrapping Iran nuclear deal United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday against scrapping an international deal on Iran's nuclear programme unless there was a good alternative in place. "If one day there is a better agreement to replace it it`s fine, but we should not scrap it unless we have a good alternative," Guterres said in an interview with BBC Radio 4. "I believe the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) was an important diplomatic victory and I think it will be important to preserve it but I also believe there are areas in which it will be very important to have a meaningful dialogue because I see the region in a very dangerous position," he said. "I understand the concerns of some countries in relation to the Iranian influence in other countries of the region. So I think we should separate things."

Trump has all but decided to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal: Sources

Iran&nbsp;criticised new US sanctions on its missile programme on Thursday, saying they&nbsp;would undermine a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.&nbsp;

&quot;Iran&nbsp;condemns the US administration&#39;s ill will in its effort to reduce the positive results of the country&#39;s implementation of JCPOA (nuclear deal) commitments by adding individuals to the list of unilateral and illegal extraterritorial sanctions,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Donald Trump chose to stick by the nuclear deal with&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;on Wednesday, renewing a waiver of nuclear-related sanctions despite his past criticism of the agreement.

But it imposed new measures to punish Iranian defence officials and a Chinese business tied to Tehran&#39;s ballistic missile programme, which it says is in breach of international law because they could carry nuclear warheads in the future.

The decision came just before a Friday presidential election&nbsp;in&nbsp;Iran, in which moderate President Hassan Rouhani is fighting for a second term against hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who has called for a much tougher stance against the West.&nbsp;

Iran&nbsp;denies ever seeking nuclear weapons and Ghasemi said its missile programme is part of its &quot;absolute and legal right to build up the country&#39;s defensive capabilities&quot;.

&quot;The Islamic Republic of&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;will continue its missile programme with power and authority based on its plans,&quot; he said.

Ghasemi said&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;would retaliate by adding nine US individuals and companies to its own sanctions list, accusing them of &quot;clear violations of human rights&quot; in relation to their support for Israel or &quot;terrorist groups&quot; in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Under review&nbsp;

Trump threatened to tear up the nuclear deal during his campaign and has launched a review of its terms, but until then he is required to decide on renewing sanctions relief at regular intervals.

His first deadline fell this week, related to sanctions on oil purchases through the Iranian central bank -- part of a 2012 law called the National Defence Authorisation Act -- that must be waived every 120 days.

The Trump administration will have to waive more sanctions next month if it wants to stick by the nuclear deal.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in April that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;was complying with its side of the bargain, but has described the country as the world&#39;s leading state sponsor of terrorism.&nbsp;

Washington has maintained a raft of other sanctions related to human rights and the missile programme that continue to stifle&nbsp;Iran&#39;s efforts to rebuild its foreign trade.

This has been a major issue in the Iranian election, with hardliner Raisi accusing Rouhani of making too many concessions without gaining any economic benefits.&nbsp;

Although oil sales have rebounded since the deal came into effect in January 2016,&nbsp;Iran&#39;s continued exclusion from the international banking system has prevented it from signing much needed trade and investment deals with Europe and Asia.&nbsp;

Rouhani, who is still seen as the frontrunner in unofficial polls, has vowed to work towards the removal of remaining sanctions and called for more time to allow the benefits of the deal to reach ordinary Iranians.&nbsp;

(AFP)

But the Donald Trump administration committed itself to the nuclear deal with?Iran?by waiving nuclear-related sanctions

Iran criticised new US sanctions on its missile programme on Thursday, saying they would undermine a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. "Iran condemns the US administration's ill will in its effort to reduce the positive results of the country's implementation of JCPOA (nuclear deal) commitments by adding individuals to the list of unilateral and illegal extraterritorial sanctions," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel. The administration of US President Donald Trump chose to stick by the nuclear deal with Iran on Wednesday, renewing a waiver of nuclear-related sanctions despite his past criticism of the agreement. But it imposed new measures to punish Iranian defence officials and a Chinese business tied to Tehran's ballistic missile programme, which it says is in breach of international law because they could carry nuclear warheads in the future. The decision came just before a Friday presidential election in Iran, in which moderate President Hassan Rouhani is fighting for a second term against hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who has called for a much tougher stance against the West. Iran denies ever seeking nuclear weapons and Ghasemi said its missile programme is part of its "absolute and legal right to build up the country's defensive capabilities". "The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its missile programme with power and authority based on its plans," he said. Ghasemi said Iran would retaliate by adding nine US individuals and companies to its own sanctions list, accusing them of "clear violations of human rights" in relation to their support for Israel or "terrorist groups" in the Middle East. Under review Trump threatened to tear up the nuclear deal during his campaign and has launched a review of its terms, but until then he is required to decide on renewing sanctions relief at regular intervals. His first deadline fell this week, related to sanctions on oil purchases through the Iranian central bank -- part of a 2012 law called the National Defence Authorisation Act -- that must be waived every 120 days. The Trump administration will have to waive more sanctions next month if it wants to stick by the nuclear deal. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in April that Iran was complying with its side of the bargain, but has described the country as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Washington has maintained a raft of other sanctions related to human rights and the missile programme that continue to stifle Iran's efforts to rebuild its foreign trade. This has been a major issue in the Iranian election, with hardliner Raisi accusing Rouhani of making too many concessions without gaining any economic benefits. Although oil sales have rebounded since the deal came into effect in January 2016, Iran's continued exclusion from the international banking system has prevented it from signing much needed trade and investment deals with Europe and Asia. Rouhani, who is still seen as the frontrunner in unofficial polls, has vowed to work towards the removal of remaining sanctions and called for more time to allow the benefits of the deal to reach ordinary Iranians. (AFP)

Iran irate as US slaps fresh nuclear missile sanctions