'Didn't want to be Jimmy Carter': Trump shares why US troops didn't extract Iran's uranium

US President Donald Trump revealed that he once considered a plan to send American troops into Iran to extract its enriched uranium stockpile, but ultimately set it aside as tensions in the Middle East resurfaced alongside ongoing diplomatic talks.

Trump said that the plan was rejected as it was assessed to be “too risky” and would have required extensive military mobilisation. He noted that the operation would have taken a minimum of two weeks and involved transporting significant quantities of military hardware into Iranian territory. “I didn’t feel like being like Jimmy Carter,” he said bringing up the former president’s failed effort to rescue 52 US Embassy staff held hostage by Iran in 1980.





Referring to the nuclear material as “nuclear dust”, Trump said Pentagon planners had examined multiple approaches to retrieve the stockpile.

While the proposal was shelved, Trump maintained that the United States still has the capability to carry out such an operation. “We could get it right now,” he said, adding, “I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s entombed.”

The US President further mentioned that the material is currently secure and does not require immediate action, and said Washington does not need a formal agreement with Tehran to take control of the enriched uranium.

Trump also stated he is not inclined to hold a direct meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, though he did not rule out the possibility if a broader diplomatic understanding is reached between the two countries. “If it happened ... I’d be respectful,” he said.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a 54-year-old Islamic cleric, assumed Iran’s supreme leadership after the killing of his father in a joint US-Israeli military strike. Trump said that despite precision operations by the US and Israel that targeted members of Khamenei’s immediate family, he still expected professional conduct from the Iranian leader. “We killed his father, his wife and his son, so I’m probably not his favourite person... But in some circles, he has a very good reputation, actually,” Trump said.

In parallel developments, a report by Axios said senior US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Thursday for consultations with technical specialists expected to play a key role in upcoming nuclear negotiations with Iran.

The White House is working towards a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tehran aimed at stopping hostilities and advancing comprehensive nuclear talks. However, officials and regional mediators involved in the process say both sides remain deeply divided over major elements of the proposed agreement.

Although negotiations are said to be in their final stages, officials have cautioned that the likelihood of a breakthrough remains uncertain. A US official said the Oak Ridge visit should not be seen as a guarantee of an agreement, but rather a sign that discussions have entered a more serious phase.

Key sticking points continue to slow progress, with the Trump administration pressing for a strict 60-day deadline for down-blending Iran’s enriched uranium, while Tehran is insisting on a 90-day timeline.

Meanwhile, the Middle East chaos has already crossed 3 months, now inching closer to the 100 days mark. The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. After the attack, the country retaliated by squeezing the crucial Strait of Hormuz, disrupting 20% of global oil supplies, sending ripples across economies.



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