Report: Trump Turns Down 5-Year Iran Nuclear Offer

Iran has reportedly floated a five-year freeze on key nuclear work, but Washington is pushing for something four times longer—and isn't budging. During weekend talks in Islamabad, US negotiators asked Iran to halt uranium enrichment for 20 years, the New York Times reports, citing "two senior Iranian officials and one US official." According to the Times' sources, Tehran's counter-offer Monday was a suspension of up to five years and an offer to dilute its stock of highly enriched uranium so it can't be used for a bomb, while keeping that fuel inside the country. The Trump administration has rejected that, and also wants the material removed from Iran entirely, the sources say.

The sources say there have been discussions of another round of in-person talks after the weekend talks failed to yield an agreement, but nothing has been finalized. President Trump told reporters at the White House Monday that he had spoken to "the right people" in Iran and they want to make a deal, NBC News reports. "If they don't agree, there's no deal, there'll never be a deal," Trump said. "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we're going to get the dust back. We'll get it back, either we'll get it back from them, or we'll take it."

• Sources tell Reuters that during negotiations, there was "strong hope in the middle of the talks that there would be a breakthrough and the two sides would reach an agreement." The sources say the two sides were "80% of the way" to an agreement before talks unraveled over issues including nuclear enrichment and the unfreezing of Iran's assets.

The diplomacy is unfolding as the US Navy begins blocking ships to and from Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint. Iran has vowed to hit back, with military spokesmen calling the restrictions "piracy" and warning no port in the Persian Gulf or Sea of Oman would be safe if its own are threatened.

• Trump attacked the New York Times' Iran reporting in a Truth Social post Tuesday, once again accusing the outlet of spreading "Fake News." "When does this Corrupt Media Outlet apologize for their LIES and horrible actions against me, my supporters, and our Country itself!" he wrote. "HAVE THEY NO SHAME? HAVE THEY NO SENSE OF DECENCY?"