WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington would take control of Iran’s enriched uranium if a deal is reached, signaling a hardline stance on a key issue in any future agreement with Tehran.Asked how the US would obtain Iran’s enriched uranium, Trump said: “It’s very easy. If we have a deal with them, we’re going down, and we’ll take it ourselves.”Trump also claimed that “very good” discussions had taken place between US and Iranian officials in recent days, although Tehran has denied that any talks are underway.“They want very much to make a deal. We’d like to make a deal too,” Trump said, adding that further communication could take place by phone and that in-person meetings may happen “very, very soon.”The remarks came shortly after Trump announced a five-day pause in strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure to allow space for potential diplomatic progress.“We’ll see how that goes, and if it goes well, we’re going to end up with settling this. Otherwise, we just keep bombing,” he said.In a separate interview, Trump suggested that developments inside Iran could amount to “regime change,” indicating a possible shift in US messaging as the conflict continues.However, Iranian officials have rejected claims of ongoing negotiations, insisting that no talks are taking place.Regional tensions have escalated since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, with reported casualties exceeding 1,300 people. Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries, disrupting infrastructure, global markets and aviation.
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