Trump Willing to Accept 20-Year Ban on Iran's Nuclear Program

Washington DC. US President Donald Trump has said he would accept a 20-year ban on Iran's nuclear program. This statement appears to confirm that Trump has backed down from his previous demand that Iran's nuclear program must end completely. 

Trump has emphasized that this ban must be for 'a real 20 years'. Previously, he had stated that Iran must permanently stop uranium enrichment, considered a step in weapons manufacturing, and that it should never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. However, he also mentioned that his patience with Iran was wearing thin due to the lack of any positive signs in the negotiations. 

Last February 28, Israeli and US forces launched a major airstrike on Iran. The ceasefire, implemented last month to facilitate negotiations, has been largely observed despite some exchanges of fire, with Pakistan playing a mediating role. 

However, the gap between the two sides still appears wide after both parties rejected each other's latest proposals for ending the war. According to Iranian media, Tehran's proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts targeting Israeli attacks on its Shia ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and a guarantee that Iran would not face further attacks. 

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Trump said both sides agreed that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and that Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which it has currently blocked. This blockade by Iran has caused oil prices to rise in the global market. 

When a journalist suggested that a 20-year ban on Iran's nuclear program was not enough, Trump replied, '20 years is enough, but the level of guarantee they provide, in other words, it must be a real 20 years.' He did not elaborate further on this matter. 

US media outlets reported that during talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, last April, Vice President JD Vance insisted on a ban of at least 20 years in response to Iran's proposal to stop uranium enrichment for 5 years. However, this is considered the first time Trump himself has mentioned a 20-year timeframe. 

In his first presidential term, Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal that the Obama administration had made with Iran in 2015. One of the reasons for this was his opposition to the 'sunset clause,' a provision under which some sanctions on Iran would expire over time. 

Israel has not yet responded to Trump's statement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile must be 'removed' before considering the war against Iran to be over. 

Netanyahu had strongly opposed the 2015 nuclear deal. He opposed it on the grounds that the 'sunset clause' would keep alive the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, posing a serious threat to Israel.