Trump: No Justification for Iran to Enrich Uranium to 60%

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has no justification for enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, and that Washington will not allow Tehran to retain its current stockpile of highly enriched uranium. In ongoing negotiations with Iran, the United States is demanding that Tehran either surrender or completely destroy its 60 percent enriched uranium stockpile as part of efforts to reach a new nuclear agreement, Trump said. The U.S. administration is seeking to eliminate the stockpile entirely in exchange for economic relief and partial sanctions relief. Referencing statements by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump noted that countries without nuclear weapons have no need to enrich uranium domestically. He said reactor-grade fuel for civilian nuclear power can be sourced from external suppliers, making domestic enrichment unnecessary for nations without weapons programs.