ToplinePresident Donald Trump now says he doesn’t care about Iran’s uranium stockpile, reversing course on the issue after insisting days earlier that Iran must “give us the nuclear dust.” President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsTrump told Reuters on Wednesday “that’s so far underground, I don’t care about that,” referring to Iran’s enriched uranium, adding, “we’ll always be watching it by satellite.” Trump told reporters Sunday Iran is “going to give us the nuclear dust,” and it was reportedly part of the 15-point peace plan the U.S. sent Iran, which it rejected as “excessive, unrealistic and unreasonable,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.Earlier Wednesday, Iran denied Trump’s claims that it asked for a ceasefire as “false and baseless,” the regime’s latest dispute of Trump’s characterization of negotiations.Trump said Wednesday that Iran has asked for a ceasefire in its conflict with the U.S. and Israel—but vowed the U.S. would continue the violence until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.The comments contradict reports and Trump’s own suggestions that he is willing to end the war without reopening the key oil passage—he told the New York Post Tuesday, “let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it . . . I would imagine whoever’s controlling the oil will be very happy to open the strait. Iran has repeatedly denied it is negotiating with the U.S. What To Watch ForTrump is scheduled to give an update on the Iran war in a televised address at 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday.Crucial Quote"They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are ​incapable of that now, and then ​I'll ⁠leave, and I'll take everybody with me, and if we have to we'll ⁠come ​back to do spot hits," ​Trump told Reuters on Wednesday. He said, “I can’t tell you exactly” when the U.S. military would leave Iran, but “we’re going to be out pretty quickly.”TangentDespite Trump’s claims the conflict could soon end, the U.S. military is preparing to send ground troops to Iran. Thousands of additional U.S. troops have arrived in the Middle East in recent days in preparation for the possibility that Trump authorizes a ground invasion that could involve seizing Kharg Island or extracting Iran’s uranium. The move threatens to break Trump’s base as multiple Republican lawmakers and prominent right-wing figures have expressed opposition to a ground operation. Key BackgroundTrump has given conflicting statements on his endgame for the war, repeatedly saying that the U.S. has achieved its core objectives, without explicitly saying what it would take to end the conflict. He’s spoken optimistically about the state of negotiations with Iran in recent days, but has threatened to escalate attacks if Iran doesn’t agree to reopen the strait. Iran has publicly denied talks are taking place and has said it won’t agree to any ceasefire unless the U.S. recognizes its sovereignty over the strait. Trump said Tuesday the U.S. military operation in Iran will wrap up in “two weeks, maybe three,” surpassing the initial four- to six-week timeline. After pushing back a deadline for attacking Iran’s energy facilities if the strait is not reopened to April 6, Trump said Monday that if “a deal is not shortly reached” that includes the strait being opened “immediately,” then the U.S. will attack Iran’s electric plants, oil wells and Kharg Island.