Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington has "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz. He also vowed to recover Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium despite Tehran’s clear message that it will not hand over the material.

Trump Vows To Seize Iran'sUranium Stockpile

Speaking at the White House, Trump reiterated that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons, warning of “drastic” consequences. He claimed that the US naval blockade targetting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Gulf of Oman has been successful. Trump said, “We have total control of Strait of Hormuz with our blockade. Iran will not get nuclear weapon or we'll do something drastic.”

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Trump stated that while the US doesn’t really need Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, it will eventually recover it. “We will get it. We don't need it; we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, out we're not going to let them have it,” he added. According to a Reuters report, Iran is believed to possess around 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, considered sufficient for potential weapons development if further refined.

Recovering the uranium is part of Trump's central objective of his war on Iran and a major sticking point in ongoing negotiations. Meanwhile, a US intelligence report suggests that Tehran’s military rebuilding efforts are continuing despite setbacks in earlier strikes.

Iran Rebuilding Military Power 

According to a report by CNN, citing US officials, Iran restarted its drone production on April 8, following a ceasefire that was brokered by Pakistan. Despite earlier US-Israeli strikes that had damaged its infrastructure, Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities including drone systems and weapons production facilities.

The report claimed that about 50 per cent of Iran’s drone capability is still intact. Tehran is also repairing missile sites, launch systems, and production lines that were damaged during the strikes.

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