- Trump stated Iran agreed not to develop nuclear weapons, calling it a significant guarantee
- Experts say Iran's promise is not new and has been made repeatedly over many years
- Trump demands zero enrichment, while Iran insists on peaceful nuclear technology rights
US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Iran has agreed not to develop atomic weapons. However, experts say the promise is not new, as they have made similar claims for years.
Speaking in an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News last week, Trump said, "The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons." He added that Iran had "agreed to that" and described the development as "very interesting."
Trump's claim surprised experts because Iran has been saying for decades that it does not seek nuclear weapons. They do not see this as a new promise or a major concession from Tehran.
Gary Samore, a former US arms-control official, told New York Times the statement was "not much of a concession" because Tehran has made similar assurances for years.
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran has agreed not to build a nuclear weapon and has described this as a major achievement. On June 1, he said that Iran had already agreed not to possess a nuclear weapon and called it the "big thing" in the negotiations.
According to the White House, Trump has said at least 74 times since 2011 that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. Last month, he also listed Iran's pledge not to build a nuclear bomb as the top requirement for any future agreement with Tehran.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump said, "If we make a deal that now we're friendly, we'll all go together. It'll be our equipment. We'll take it out and destroy it, whether it's on-site or whether we take it off-site."
Iran has long insisted that it does not want nuclear weapons. The country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had even issued a religious ruling, or fatwa, saying that making, storing or using nuclear weapons is forbidden under Islam.
Daniel Roth, research director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said Iran has repeatedly claimed it is not seeking nuclear weapons despite evidence suggesting otherwise, the NYT report added.
In 2015, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had worked on nuclear weapons-related designs until 2009. Later, documents reportedly seized by Israeli intelligence in 2018 suggested that Iranian officials had previously planned aspects of a nuclear weapons programme.
Trump wants Iran to follow a "zero enrichment" policy. Iran has rejected this demand, stating that they have the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, such as producing energy and conducting scientific research.
“Look, we have totally destroyed their military,” Trump said. “They have some missiles left. They have some drones left.” He added that he believes Iran has just “21, 22 per cent” of its pre-war missile stockpile remaining.
