Trump Issues Nuclear Ultimatum to Iran Ahead of High-Stakes Talks

The Trump administration is gearing up for renewed nuclear negotiations with Iran, set to begin next week, with a firm stance: no uranium enrichment, no highly enriched uranium stockpiles, and strict limits on missile development. These non-negotiable demands follow a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign in June 2025 that targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including key facilities in Tehran. The strikes, launched on June 13, aimed to cripple Iran’s nuclear ambitions after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran held over 408 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium, enough, if further processed, for over ten nuclear bombs. U.S. and Israeli officials fear this stockpile could enable Iran to restart its weapons program or develop a radiological weapon.

A senior administration official emphasized, “This is not going to be like the Obama deal. There is no room for games here. Iran knows what it needs to do. And if it doesn’t, we’re prepared to act again.” The U.S. believes the strikes, described as a “dual strike success,” delivered “irreversible” damage to Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission claimed the campaign “pushed back Iran’s nuclear weapon capability by many years,” highlighting the destruction of enrichment sites, development labs, and the deaths of eleven senior Iranian nuclear scientists, including nine in the initial strikes and two in the final hours. These scientists, part of Iran’s “weapon group,” were critical to warhead development.

The IDF’s Technical Intelligence Arena is still assessing the damage but noted in an internal memo that the strikes dealt “a major blow to both infrastructure and human capital.” Iran, weakened by the loss of facilities and personnel, previously rejected similar demands before the strikes, asserting its right to enrich uranium and dismissing missile restrictions. Now, with its economy and leadership strained, Tehran approaches the talks in a diminished position. A White House national security aide stated, “We knew they would never come to the table on their own. That’s why we hit them hard. Now they understand the cost of defiance.” However, a European diplomat cautioned, “Iran is cornered, yes. But cornered regimes are dangerous. They may negotiate, or they may lash out.”