Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Trump claims Iran agreed to hand over enriched uranium

Removal of Iran’s enriched uranium will be a “very, very complex assignment” that would take many months – and that’s if Iran has actually agreed to its removal. 

US President Donald Trump told reporters this morning that Iran had agreed to give up its enriched uranium, but that had raised plenty of questions, US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking. 

The 444.9kg of uranium, enriched up to 60% purity, was left over after US and Israeli airstrikes last March, despite Trump’s claim at the time that Iran’s nuclear stocks were totally obliterated, Arnold pointed out. 

“Has Iran really agreed to this? We're yet to hear from, you know, the Iranians. No deal until, and unless, there's a deal.” 

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon had also been announced, but Trump was “covering all bases” by sending another 10,000 US troops to the Middle East, Arnold said. 

One political science expert —Professor Robert Pape of the University of Chicago— had put the chances of renewed US military action at about 70%. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Richard, good morning you, Good morning mine. You have some
me to me. We've got to cease fire another one?

Speaker 2 (00:05):
All right, okay, thanks headline. Yeah, what I would say
is lots of questions following Trump's laters chit chat with
reporters on the lawn at the White House, where he
says that peace talks with Iran could resume, maybe as
soon as this weekends.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
As Trump Iran wants to make a deal, and we're
dealing very nicely with them. We've got to have no
nuclear weapons if we do, that's a big factor. And
they're willing to do things today that they weren't willing
to do two months ago.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, Trump bravado is not new. What is new,
probably is this claim that he made.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust. It's
way underground because of the attack we made with the
B two bomber itself. We have a lot of agreement
with Iran, and I think something's going to happen very fast.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Well, agreed to give back the nuclear dust. It's the
first time we've heard that. When he says dust. Of course,
it's not just dust. It's the four hundred and forty
point nine kilograms of uranium riched up to sixty percent
purity that was left after US and as ready yes
strikes last March when Trump said the Iranian nuclear stocks
were totally obliterated when they were not. Has Iran really
agreed to this? Were yet to hear from you know,

(01:10):
the Iranians. No deal until and unless there's a deal. Also,
removal of this in rich uranium is a very very
complex assignment, one that would take many months, say experts. Meantime,
Trump has announced this ten day Islady Lebanon ceasefire as well.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
We're going to be meeting with Bibn at Yahoo as
you know, and the President of Lebanon, and I had
a great talk with both of them today. They're going
to be having a ceasefire and that'll include Hezbollah.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
This has been announced just as Trump is sending another
ten thousand US troops off to the Middle East, so
again covering all bases. And that's still a fundamental question.
Is Aroun intended interested in any deal which would allow
the handover of that Irish uranium or its downblending, plus
handing over virtual control of the straight off moose once
the US Navy leaves the scene, would they do this

(02:00):
in return for bringing around into the modern europe man
onto what is being described as a new Golden bridge
for Iran, including significant economic aid. The White House thinks
this blockade of the Strait has changed the power balance
in their favor. Foreign policy analyst David Ignatius believes there
is a chance for such a deal, but warns it
still will not be easy.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
Has not been regime change when the person at the
top of the leadership, Muhammad Golli Boffa, is very pragmatic
as somebody who would like to do deals with the West,
but he's facing, I'm told, quite a lot of opposition
at home.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Well, Iran badly needs revenue, and yet Trump and the
West also are facing some big pressures despite what's happening
on Wall Street with the investor optimism, you know, Straightian
petrol pumps drying up, Europeans running out of jet fuel,
that kind of thing. Believal science professor Robert Paper of
the University of Chicago says he puts the chances of
renewed US military action at about seventy percent likely. While

(02:54):
one of Trump's top economic advisors, Kevin Hassett, is making
this proposal.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Imagine it oial praises start going back down because the
situation resolves itself somehow. Then you could be looking at
an inflata close to zero.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Just imagine a better world visualized lower petrol prices. Sure,
while Trump's Energy secretary Chris Wright has this insightful contribution, just.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Because it looks like we're going the wrong direction does
not mean that's the direction we're going.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, right, surely.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
You can't argue with that. No man, no man, all right,
Make you have a good week. I appreciate it. Richard
Arnold state, So I judge, federal judge, another bad day
in court for Trump. The underground aspect of the ballroom
at the White House has been stalled. This is Richard Leon. Judge,
Richard Leon. You can continue underground. Sorry, you can continue underground,

(03:45):
but you can't continue above ground. Was the ruling there
and best it's interestingly enough, this was otamus pressy yesterday's
expecting banks to comply with a mandate to collect citizenship dartist.
And next time you're in an American bank, they're going
to be checking whether you're legit or not.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
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