• Donald Trump claims Iranian negotiators agreed to let the US retrieve radioactive material, which he calls 'nuclear dust,' from damaged nuclear facilities.
  • The recovery would be without any exchange of money, potentially involving joint US-Iran efforts.
  • The plan underscores diplomatic backchannel talks on nuclear security and proliferation risks.

In a striking development, former President Donald Trump said Iranian negotiators have agreed that the United States will retrieve what he terms 'nuclear dust'—highly enriched uranium and other radioactive material—from destroyed Iranian nuclear sites. Trump publicly asserted that the transfer would occur without any exchange of money, framing it as a necessity since Tehran lacks the technology to remove the material itself.

'They can't get it out,' Trump said, adding that the US may need to work with Iran, including using excavators, to recover the deeply buried material. The claim, if accurate, would mark an extraordinary operational interaction, with US personnel accessing sensitive nuclear sites for hazardous-material retrieval.

The 'nuclear dust' recovery appears part of broader US-Iran negotiation tracks, including ongoing backchannel diplomacy around nuclear safeguards and rollback of activities. Trump portrayed the material as a serious proliferation risk, saying its removal would enhance security. Analysts note that even indirect coordination would require careful sequencing, verification, and security assurances.

Efforts to reach Iranian officials for comment were unsuccessful. The plan raises questions about trust-building and feasibility, with experts flagging logistical complexity and environmental risks. Without a clear framework, the retrieval could become a bargaining chip alongside sanctions relief. Short-term, expect follow-on statements testing access terms and whether Iran's role extends to technical cooperation.

Correction: An earlier version of this article implied the material was exclusively from US strikes; it includes radioactive material from prior Iranian nuclear activities.