United States President, Donald Trump, has stated that recovering Iran’s enriched uranium reserves would be a “long and difficult process.”
Speaking on Monday, Trump referenced the June 2025 military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, reiterating his administration’s position on the impact of the strikes.
“Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran,” he said, referring to the offensive carried out against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The U.S. leader has consistently argued that the operation effectively dismantled Iran’s nuclear programme, and has in recent remarks described the remaining uranium stockpile as “dust.”
“Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process,” he added.
His comments come ahead of possible high-level diplomatic talks expected to take place in Pakistan.
Trump disclosed on Sunday that U.S. officials would travel to Islamabad for negotiations, although Tehran has yet to formally confirm its participation and has called for the removal of the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan previously hosted direct high-level engagement between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad on April 11–12, marking the first such interaction since both countries cut diplomatic relations in 1979. However, the talks concluded without any significant agreement.
