The Uranium Ultimatum

Trump posted on Truth Social Monday that Iran's enriched uranium will be handed over to the United States immediately or destroyed on Iranian soil. No ambiguity.

"The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place," Trump wrote, per Breitbart's reporting.

This came directly after the New York Times reported Saturday that Iran had committed — in broad terms — to surrendering its near-weapons-grade stockpile. Two unnamed US officials were the source.

But Reuters reported Thursday that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had given a directive that the uranium stockpile should NOT leave the country. One Iranian source told Reuters directly: "The Supreme Leader's directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country."

Iran's leader says keep it. Trump says hand it over.

What the Strikes Mean for Negotiations

US Central Command confirmed Monday's strikes on missile launch sites near a major Iranian port and on boats caught attempting to lay mines. According to BBC, CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins described them as "self-defense" and said the military "continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire."

Rubio, speaking to reporters during an official trip to India, said a deal is still possible. He pointed to talks happening Tuesday in Doha between Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Qatari officials. "It'll take a few days," Rubio said, per BBC.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said some progress had been made but a deal "is NOT imminent."

Neither side is claiming the strikes killed the negotiations.

The Bolton Factor

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton went on CNN's The Lead Monday and said what a segment of the hawkish right is thinking out loud.

"I hope the negotiations break down, because every day that goes by is a gift to Iran," Bolton said, per Breitbart. "It gives them 24 more hours to recover from the pummeling they took during the six weeks of Israeli attack."

Bolton continued: "I think we're on the verge of something that ultimately history will decide was a catastrophic loss for the United States."

Host Pamela Brown pushed back — asking whether even a deal that moves enriched uranium out of Iran would be a failure. Bolton effectively said yes, because the uranium timeline keeps shifting. "60 days turns into six months," he said.

Bolton suggested Trump is watching the price of gas at the pump rather than calculating American strategic interests. Bolton's own advocacy for regime change in Iran for decades shapes his perspective on these negotiations.

Republicans Are Unified — Mostly

Congressional Republicans are publicly backing Trump's negotiating position. According to Breitbart's reporting, the lineup includes:

• Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY): "Let's give POTUS Trump the space to negotiate without sideline chatter."
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): "War virtually always ends with negotiations."
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): Said Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords as part of a deal would be "beyond transformative."

Trump himself said Sunday that negotiations were proceeding in an "orderly and constructive manner" but told his representatives NOT to rush because "time is on our side." He said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz stays until a deal is "reached, certified, and signed."

The Uranium Question Remains Unresolved

Press coverage has documented the strikes and deal progress adequately. The central tension — Trump's demand for uranium handover versus Khamenei's directive to keep it in Iran — remains unresolved in public reporting. A deal "in broad terms" that crashes on the uranium question leaves little room for execution.

National Review noted the deal's terms keep shifting and that this remains a long way from any decisive outcome.

Immediate Consequences

The Strait of Hormuz remains under US blockade. Oil prices moved up Monday after the strikes clouded the peace deal outlook, per the New York Times. A deal with real teeth — one that actually removes Iran's enriched uranium — would reopen a critical global shipping lane and push oil prices down.

No deal, or a weak deal, means the blockade holds, energy prices stay elevated, and the military standoff continues with no clear endgame.

The next 72 hours in Doha will show whether Iran agrees in writing to uranium removal.