Trump says Iran needs US nod for nuclear moves, claims Ukraine war near end

Donald Trump said Iran needed US approval on nuclear steps and claimed the Russia-Ukraine war was nearing settlement. His remarks came as Tehran set seven conditions for talks and Democrats took control of Congress.Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump was asked about proposals that mediators had conveyed to Iran regarding the future of its nuclear programme. (Reuters photo)US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Iran could not take any action on its nuclear programme without Washington's approval, while claiming that the Russia-Ukraine war was "very close" to being settled. He also said he would have to decide whether the United States needed to go further in dealing with Tehran or formally accept the current situation.Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about proposals conveyed to Iran by mediators concerning the future of its nuclear programme."They're not doing anything without our approval," he said, asserting that Tehran would need Washington's consent on any steps related to its nuclear activities.Trump also indicated that major decisions could be expected in the coming weeks, saying, "We'll do a lot of things over the next couple of weeks." His remarks came a day after Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, dealing a setback to the Republican administration.TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 'VERY CLOSE' TO SETTLEMENTOn the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump said he had met Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House and expressed confidence that an agreement to end the war was within reach. "It's going to be an agreement. It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine... I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled," Trump told reporters.He described the conflict as being very close to a settlement but did not provide details of the proposed agreement. Trump also said he had not met the Ukrainian delegation on Thursday.US-led discussions involving Ukraine, Russia and European partners are scheduled to resume next week in Abu Dhabi.Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would have to adapt to the changed political landscape in Washington following the midterm elections, in which Democrats secured control of Congress."Ukraine has to move forward towards the new political infrastructure in the United States of America," Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Thursday."We have to move quickly. Without doubt, we have to unite the bipartisan support that we get. Understanding the power shifts, we should build up our dialogue the right way. I believe we have the chance to increase support."Zelensky said Ukraine needed continued American military assistance, particularly to strengthen its air defences against Russian attacks. He identified supplies of missiles for the US-made Patriot air defence systems as Kyiv's top priority."If we don't solve the Patriot problem, it will get very tough for us," he said. "This issue could be solved by Europe, some countries outside Europe and, of course, the United States of America. This is the No. 1 priority."The US State Department last week approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, although deliveries are not expected until the early 2030s. Zelensky also said Kyiv was working to ensure sufficient operational F-16 fighter jets over the next five to six months.IRAN SENDS NUCLEAR PROPOSAL THROUGH QATARMeanwhile, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that Tehran had sent a proposal concerning its nuclear programme to the United States through Qatar.The official said Washington was reviewing the proposal, but Iran would discuss it only after the US addressed seven demands put forward by Tehran.Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei, who was visiting Russia, reiterated that Tehran would not resume negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington met its conditions."On the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations," Rezaei said.Iran's demands include the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war reparations. Washington, however, has maintained that nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.The diplomatic efforts come amid concerns that hostilities could resume after the US midterm elections. Trump had earlier declined to rule out renewed military action against Iran following the polls.The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf countries hosting American military bases. The conflict also drew in Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.- EndsWith inputs from Reuters