President Trump said during an interview with Fox Business News that he sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, expressing a desire to negotiate a nuclear deal.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Trump told Maria Bartiromo of “Mornings with Maria.”
“I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran,” he said, adding, “I would rather negotiate a deal. I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily.”
“But the time is happening now. The time is coming up,” Trump stated. “Something’s going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran — and I’ve written him a letter, saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate.’ Because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing — for them.”
A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Iran has increased its production of enriched uranium.
According to the report, obtained by the Associated Press, Iran had more than 600 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60% as of February 8. The number is an increase of 203.9 pounds since the agency’s last report from November.
“The significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon State to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern,” the report stated.
The IAEA noted that Iran’s total stockpile of enriched uranium is 18,286 pounds, an increase of 3725.8 pounds since the agency’s November report.
