Trump Administration To Offer Iran Nuclear Alternative

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS REPORTEDLY READY TO OFFER IRAN AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN WHEN IT COMES TO ENRICHING URANIUM. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS, SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO SAID THE UNITED STATES WOULD ALLOW IRAN TO IMPORT NUCLEAR FUEL AS PART OF A CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

[VO]

RUBIO MADE THE REMARKS ON A PODCAST FOR THE FREE PRESS. THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN IN TALKS IN RECENT WEEKS, WITH IRAN, ABOUT ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. THE CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAM WOULD ALLOW IRAN TO USE NUCLEAR FUEL FOR POWER GENERATION AND OTHER PURPOSES, NOT RELATED TO BUILDING A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
HE SAID PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD PREFER NOT TO RESORT TO MILITARY FORCE.

[SOUND BYTE HERE, MARCO RUBIO, TIME CODE 15:06, YOU TUBE CLIP,
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE :

“HE WOULD PREFER THAT THERE NOT BE NEED TO RESORT TO MILITARY FORCE, EITHER BY US OR ANYBODY ELSE. HE WOULD PREFER THAT IT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE. THE IRANIANS HAVE SHOWN A WILLINGNESS TO TALK. WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO THEM. IF THERE IS A CHANCE OF PEACE, WE’RE GOING TO GIVE PEACE AND A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THIS CHALLENGE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED. OUR PRIORITIES REMAIN THE SAME. IF IRAN WANTS A CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THEY CAN HAVE ONE JUST LIKE MANY OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD HAVE ONE, AND THAT IS THEY IMPORT ENRICHED MATERIAL.” ]

THE REPORT COMES AFTER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER MIKE WALTZ HAD PREVIOUSLY STATED ON THE CBS PROGRAM FACE THE NATION, IN MARCH, THAT IRAN MUST AGREE TO “FULL DISMANTLEMENT” OF ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM, SAYING: “ IRAN HAS TO GIVE UP ITS PROGRAM IN A WAY THE ENTIRE WORLD CAN SEE. IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO WALK AWAY COMPLETELY FROM ITS DESIRE TO HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

“CURRENTLY THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IMPORTS NUCLEAR FUEL TO OPERATE SEVERAL OF ITS REACTORS. IT DOES NOT ENRICH URANIUM ITSELF. THE REPORT SAYS THE U.A.E. ALSO HAS VOWED NOT TO REPROCESS THE SPENT FUEL, WHICH IS A METHOD USED TO MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

IN IRAN’S CASE, BY IMPORTING FUEL, IT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENRICH URANIUM, THUS BLOCKING OR STUNTING ITS ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THE PROCESS ON ITS OWN. HOWEVER, A SENIOR AIDE TO IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER RULED OUT IRAN AGREEING TO THE U.A.E MODEL IN LAST WEEK’S TALKS IN ROME.

U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF IS LEADING THE TALKS FOR THE UNITED STATES. HE INSISTED LAST WEEK THAT IRAN GET RID OF ITS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT AND WEAPONIZATION PROGRAM. RUBIO’S COMMENTS APPEAR TO OFFER A PEACEFUL CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAM COMPROMISE.

THE TWO SIDES ARE SLATED TO MEET AGAIN THIS WEEKEND. IT REMAINS UNCLEAR IF IRAN WOULD AGREE TO A PLAN THAT MAKES IT DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN SOURCES OF NUCLEAR FUEL.

FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP