A dangerous new showdown has erupted between President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei over Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. Trump vowed that the United States would eventually “get” Iran’s uranium and even hinted that Washington could destroy the material after seizing it. The explosive remarks came after reports that Iran’s top leadership ordered the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile to remain inside the country, rejecting Western pressure to export the material abroad. Tehran fears surrendering its uranium would leave Iran vulnerable to future military action by the US and Israel.

United States and Iran are rising again as President Donald Trump warns Tehran that military action could return if nuclear negotiations fail. Calling the talks “right on the borderline,” Trump claimed the US is fully prepared for rapid escalation if Iran refuses to give “100&#37 good answers.” Despite an ongoing ceasefire, Washington’s latest statements have triggered fears of renewed conflict in the Middle East. Trump also raised alarms over the Strait of Hormuz, saying thousands of oil shipments are waiting to move through the critical global energy route.