Image: Donald Trump in 2025 — Wikimedia Commons / public domain source archive- Trump told PBS News Iran would not get sanctions relief in exchange for giving up highly enriched uranium.
- His quote was explicit: “No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no.”
- The statement sharpens the gap between U.S. demands for uranium disposal and Iranian demands for sanctions and asset relief.
President Donald Trump has rejected the idea that Iran would receive sanctions relief simply for giving up its highly enriched uranium.
In a short phone call with PBS News on Wednesday, Trump was asked whether the current deal would mean Iran gives up its highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief.
“No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no,” Trump told PBS News. “They’re gonna give up their highly enriched uranium not for sanctions relief. No, no, not at all.”
The comment matters because it cuts directly against a central Iranian demand in the talks: economic relief, including sanctions relief and frozen asset access, tied to steps on nuclear material and regional de-escalation.
What Iran has been asking for
Earlier reporting by Al Jazeera said Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal focused first on ending the war, lifting the U.S. naval blockade, restoring maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
On the nuclear side, people familiar with the proposal told The Wall Street Journal, cited by Al Jazeera, that Tehran had proposed diluting part of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country. Iran also reportedly offered a shorter enrichment suspension than the U.S. wanted, while rejecting dismantlement of nuclear facilities.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described demands for ending the blockade and releasing frozen assets as “legitimate,” according to Al Jazeera.
Image: Iran nuclear talks in Vienna — Wikimedia Commons / public source archiveWhat the U.S. position appears to be
CBS News reported on May 24 that Iran had agreed in principle to dispose of highly enriched uranium, according to a senior Trump administration official, but that details of the disposal mechanism remained unresolved.
That official said any sanctions relief would be “commensurate with the actual delivery” of what the U.S. asks for in terms of Trump’s national security objectives.
Trump’s PBS comment goes further rhetorically. It says the uranium handover should not be understood as a simple exchange: uranium out, sanctions off.
Why it matters
The negotiations have several overlapping tracks: reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting or easing blockades, ending fighting, and resolving Iran’s nuclear stockpile. Each side is trying to sequence those concessions differently.
Iran wants relief and guarantees early. Washington wants performance first, especially on highly enriched uranium and enrichment limits.
Trump’s line suggests the White House does not want the public narrative to become “Iran gets sanctions relief for giving up uranium.” The administration is framing uranium disposal as a baseline demand, not a reward.
NoDechev rating: confirmed statement. PBS News directly quoted Trump rejecting sanctions relief in exchange for Iran giving up highly enriched uranium. The larger deal remains fluid, but the quote is clear.
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