Trump Considers Allowing Iran to Resume Uranium Enrichment Within Decade, Contradicting Earlier Stance

Gate News message, April 20 — U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a proposal that would permit Iran to resume uranium enrichment within a decade, a position that contradicts his stated justification for military action in the Middle East, where he has repeatedly emphasized preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran currently possesses 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade concentrations of 90 percent. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has stated that the existing stockpile could enable Iran to construct up to 10 nuclear weapons if weaponized. Since June 2025, when Israeli and American strikes significantly weakened Iran's nuclear program, IAEA inspectors have been unable to verify the location of the highly enriched uranium.

The proposal under Trump's consideration would reportedly require Iran to halt uranium enrichment for several years before allowing the regime to produce low-enriched uranium over the subsequent decade. Trump is said to have advocated for a 20-year moratorium, concerned that a shorter timeframe would make his agreement appear too similar to the 2015 nuclear accord he previously abandoned. That accord, signed under President Barack Obama, prohibited Iran from enriching uranium beyond civilian thresholds for 15 years.