Ceasefire Day 38: We’ll Get Iran’s Uranium, Trump Says

The ceasefire entered its 38th day on Friday following an interview with Fox News on Thursday evening in which President Donald Trump said that retrieving Iran’s enriched uranium is only necessary for “public relations.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary except from a public relations standpoint,” Trump said. “I think it’s important for the fake news that we get it. I’m the one that said we are going to get it. And we’re going to get it.”

Aboard Air Force One on Friday morning, Trump said he would make a decision soon on whether to lift sanctions he had imposed in April against Chinese firms purchasing oil from Iran. “We talked about that and I’m going to make a decision over the next few days,” he said.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Arahchi said Friday that Iran does not believe the U.S. is “serious” enough to reach a negotiated settlement to end the conflict. “We are in doubt about their seriousness, but the moment we feel that they are serious and they are ready for a fair and balanced deal, we will certainly proceed in the course of negotiations,” he said. 

Araghchi confirmed Friday that he spoke with Russian officials about the potential for transferring enriched uranium from Iran to Russia, but said that Iran plans to postpone nuclear issues to later stages of negotiations with the U.S. “When we come to that stage, obviously we will have more consultations with Russia and see if the Russian offer can help or not,” Araghchi said. “This is not something at the time being.”

Iran’s current stated conditions to end the conflict, as reported by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, are the same conditions listed in their May 2 proposal. They include an immediate end to hostilities and guarantees against renewed hostilities, the lifting of U.S. sanctions, Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz, an end to the ongoing U.S. naval blockade, and an end to the war “on all fronts” including in Lebanon, where Israel has waged a deadly military campaign.

The Financial Times reported Friday that Yemen's Houthis and the Saudi-backed government agreed to swap 1,750 detainees. The outlet reported Thursday, citing anonymous diplomats, that Saudi Arabia has raised the idea of a regional non-aggression pact between Gulf states and Iran, possibly modelled on the 1975 Helsinki accords.

Israel’s i24 News said Friday that “Netanyahu’s confirmed secret visit to the UAE” included the Mossad chief, the director of the Shin Bet, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. The UAE denies that the visit occurred, despite reports.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people in Lebanon on Friday, raising the total number of Lebanese killed since March 2 to 2,951 people. One Israeli soldier was killed by Hezbollah mortar fire in southern Lebanon's Litani River area Thursday, the Israeli military said, becoming the 19th Israeli soldier to die since the current round of fighting began. Separately, a Hezbollah drone struck the parking lot in northern Israel, wounding three civilians on Thursday.