Trump says U.S.-Iran deal could be signed as soon as Saturday

President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday evening that an agreement with Iran is expected to be signed as early as Sunday, describing the talks as in their final stages. He wrote that the deal is meant to block Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, saying, “They no longer want a nuclear weapon and they will not have one, not through purchase, development or any other form of acquisition.”

Trump warned that if the deal is not signed, the United States has a military option. He said that once the agreement is signed, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened to all traffic, and claimed U.S. relations with Iran are “different and much better” than under previous administrations. He also contrasted the current approach with what he called large payments under Barack Obama, including $1.7 billion in cash.

The president said the highly enriched uranium held by Iran will be seized by the United States. “At the right time, when everything is quiet, we will go in and collect the ‘nuclear dust,’ buried deep under the solid and powerful granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 bombers and their brilliant pilots,” he wrote, adding that it would be destroyed either in Iran or in the United States. He closed by saying he looks forward to working with Iran and the rest of the Middle East, while warning that the United States has an “ultimate alternative” if the deal fails.

Earlier, Pakistan’s foreign minister told Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister that the electronic signing of the U.S.-Iran agreement was set for Sunday. A senior U.S. official also said Trump will meet Middle Eastern leaders in France on Tuesday, including separate meetings with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expected to attend. The official said a British and French-led coalition plans to help clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz after it reopens.