Washington, DC [US], June 4 (ANI): US President Donald Trump has announced that diplomatic negotiations with Iran are progressing positively, though he cautioned that a final agreement remains uncertain, while concurrently declaring Washington’s intention to take possession of Iran’s enriched uranium.
Speaking at the White House, the US President described the ongoing discussions with Tehran as going “very well”, though he acknowledged there was no guarantee of success.
“It might not happen, you know? Who knows,” Trump remarked regarding a potential pact, before adding, “But if it happens, it could happen over the weekend.” He further noted, “Anything can happen when you’re dealing with Iran.”
Turning to maritime security, Trump asserted that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would reopen “immediately upon signing” a memorandum of understanding with Iran, expressing total confidence that maritime traffic through the vital waterway would resume swiftly.
“It will open up quickly,” Trump said of the transport route, adding, “We’ve already had our mine sweepers there.”
The US President also indicated his preference to keep the issue of reopening the strait separate from the continuing conflict in Lebanon, which has seen intensive Israeli strikes across its southern territory.
“I’d like to separate it, I’d like to have a separate thing, because it is, it is separate,” Trump told reporters.
When questioned about Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, Trump reiterated a firm desire to secure the material, arguing that only the United States and China possessed the necessary capabilities to handle it.
“I want to get it,” Trump stated, before asserting, “We will go get it.”
This diplomatic optimism from Washington contrasts with statements from Tehran, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that communication channels remain active but noted a distinct lack of meaningful progress towards ending the wider regional conflict.
In remarks to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television, cited by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Araghchi stated, “Communications with the Americans have not been cut off, and messages have been exchanged regarding the need to stop aggression against Beirut, but no tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister outlined strict preconditions for any formal return to diplomatic talks.
“Returning to the negotiating table is conditional on ensuring the rights of the Iranian people, ending the war in Lebanon, and stopping tensions in the region,” Araghchi stated, noting that both sides were still reviewing exchanged draft texts.
Araghchi also issued a stern warning against any military actions targeting the Lebanese capital amid threats from Israel to target Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war,” Araghchi told Al Mayadeen, declaring that Tehran had already conveyed its position clearly to all parties involved.
“We will not remain silent,” he warned. “At the moment when Israel threatened to attack the suburbs of Beirut, we adopted a decisive stance and the Iranian armed forces were put on full alert for a counterattack.”
He further added: “Our armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut.”
These friction points follow Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that he had obtained commitments from both Israel and Hezbollah to halt hostilities, presenting the development as a significant breakthrough.
Meanwhile, the regional security landscape remains highly volatile following a fatal strike at Kuwait International Airport. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has rejected allegations of responsibility, with an IRGC spokesman claiming the destruction was caused by a malfunction of the US-made Patriot air defence system rather than an Iranian attack.
The denial follows a sharp rebuke from former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who condemned the strikes on Gulf states as “astonishing” and “unjustifiable” on X, while urging regional nations to adopt a unified stance.
Tehran has consistently defended its strikes as direct retaliation for Gulf states allegedly allowing the United States to launch military operations against Iranian targets from their territory.
The airport strike marks the first deadly incident in the Gulf since the April 8 ceasefire took effect, leaving one person dead and 63 others injured. The MEA confirmed that the deceased was an Indian citizen and strongly condemned the strike on civilian infrastructure, stating: “We again call on all parties to cease such attacks.”
Detailing the offensive, Kuwait Defence Ministry spokesman Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan said 30 ballistic missiles and drones were launched in what he described as a “heinous Iranian aggression” that caused “significant material damage to the building”.
Kuwait’s state news agency reported that operations were temporarily suspended after Terminal One was struck, though services later resumed gradually.
While the IRGC maintained it only targeted the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain in response to aggression involving an Iranian tanker and Qeshm Island, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated it had “successfully defeated” the Iranian missile and drone attacks.
According to CENTCOM, “Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart en route, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by US and Bahrain air defense forces.”
CENTCOM later posted on X: “All Iranian attacks on American forces failed,” while Bahraini authorities separately reported intercepting three missiles and several drones. (ANI)
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