Rumors of a quiet nuclear concession to Iran ignited a firestorm this week — until former President Donald Trump personally extinguished it. Reports from Axios suggesting that the U.S. might allow limited uranium enrichment under a new deal with Tehran set off alarm bells across political and diplomatic circles. But in a swift, no-holds-barred rebuttal, Trump flatly denied the claim and lashed out at both Iran and President Joe Biden, who he mockingly dubbed “AUTOPEN.”
“WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform, adding that Biden “should have stopped Iran a long time ago.”
The Axios piece claimed Washington’s proposal, delivered to Iranian officials over the weekend, would permit low-level enrichment of nuclear fuel within Iran — a move that, if true, would represent a major reversal from the “maximum pressure” policy of Trump’s previous term. That administration unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
The Axios report was vague on specifics but alarmed many on the right by suggesting the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism would be allowed to maintain its nuclear infrastructure and enrich uranium — however modestly. That, critics argued, would effectively validate Iran’s nuclear program, setting a dangerous precedent.
But Trump was having none of it.
His post blasted the reporting as false, insisting that under any agreement led by his administration, enrichment would be completely off the table. He also hinted that the Axios scoop may be rooted in leftover negotiation threads from the Biden administration, which Trump blames for empowering Tehran in the first place.
“The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago,” Trump said, in a jab at Biden’s reliance on pre-signed authorizations and perceived passivity in global affairs.
Trump’s nickname for Biden — “AUTOPEN” — signals more than just sarcasm. It’s a cutting accusation: that Biden isn’t actively leading but is instead a passive figurehead, rubber-stamping decisions made by others. The nickname is already gaining traction in conservative circles as a shorthand for perceived weakness in the White House.
The choice of words reflects Trump’s broader critique — that Biden’s foreign policy lacks backbone, especially when dealing with hostile regimes like Iran’s. Under Biden, critics note, Iran has grown bolder in its regional influence, and its nuclear program has reportedly advanced significantly since 2021.
Iran, for its part, insists that its nuclear program is strictly “peaceful” and designed for civilian energy use. However, U.S. intelligence and nonproliferation watchdogs remain skeptical, pointing to past cover-ups, enrichment beyond civilian thresholds, and ballistic missile development.
Five rounds of nuclear talks have thus far failed to yield a new agreement. With Trump now publicly disavowing any tolerance for uranium enrichment, even in hypothetical negotiations, the chances of a revived JCPOA-like accord — especially one palatable to conservatives — appear remote.
