Mogadishu (LM) In the early months of his presidency, the US president has struggled to establish peace in Gaza and Ukraine, engaged in military actions in Yemen, and initiated a global trade war. Now, he is focusing on Iran, viewing it as unfinished business from his previous term.
The central issue remains Iran’s potential pursuit of nuclear weapons. While Iran denies such ambitions, many countries suspect it seeks at least the capability to develop a nuclear warhead, raising concerns about a possible arms race in the Middle East.
In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with several world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for lifted economic sanctions. However, after withdrawing from the deal in 2018, the US reimposed sanctions, leading Iran to exceed some of the deal’s restrictions and increase its uranium enrichment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium could potentially be enough for six nuclear bombs.
Following his inauguration, the president reinstated a “maximum pressure” policy on Iran, signing a memorandum to impose further sanctions and penalize countries purchasing Iranian oil. Recently, he offered to negotiate with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and agreed to direct discussions between US and Iranian officials in Oman.
The US has made it clear that a deal must be reached, or Iran could face military action. The president stated, “If the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger.”
