Trump, Xi Meet May 14‑15 China Leads Iran Nuclear Deal
SkimNews Take
Trump's criticism of European leaders, framed as a critique of a potential Iran deal, may be a strategic maneuver to distance himself from any deal's eventual terms or process, regardless of its outcome.
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- Trump has reframed the war as primarily about nuclear weapons, alleging that Pope Leo XIV and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would welcome Iran’s nuclear armament if they oppose his war.
- China is positioned to lead a consortium that would manage Iran’s roughly 400 kg of partially damaged enriched uranium stockpile and supervise its civilian nuclear program.
- JCPOA (the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) originally involved the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and China, imposing limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for phased sanction relief.
- Iran will not renounce its sovereign right to uranium enrichment, despite diplomatic pressure.
- Israel remains distrustful of any agreement, believing Iran will never permanently abandon nuclear ambitions.
- European governments can contribute their JCPOA negotiation expertise, and the IAEA stands ready to resume verification of any new deal.
- Trump and Xi are slated to meet in Beijing on May 14‑15, a possible venue for a US‑China‑Iran nuclear settlement, following the June 2025 bombings that have reduced Iran’s enrichment capacity.
Why it matters: A China‑led revival of the JCPOA, spurred by Trump’s nuclear‑centric framing and the May 14‑15 Trump‑Xi summit, could deliver Iran sanction relief and give Beijing strategic foothold, while offering the U.S. a path to end the war and pull its navy out of the Middle East; Israel and other skeptics risk seeing their security concerns remain unaddressed.
