One of the central elements of the proposed agreement between Iran and the United States is Tehran’s apparent willingness to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to two US officials who shared the information to the New York Times.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington was “close” to reaching an agreement with Iran aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, he did not elaborate on the remaining challenges or specifics of the deal.
US officials said the current proposal does not yet define the exact mechanism through which Iran would surrender or neutralise its uranium stockpile. Those details are expected to be discussed in a subsequent round of negotiations focused specifically on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Still, American negotiators view Tehran’s broader commitment to address the stockpile as a critical breakthrough and a major condition for moving forward with the agreement, particularly amid expected scrutiny from Republican lawmakers in Congress.
How Iran Agreed For Deal?
According to the officials, Iran had initially resisted including its enriched uranium reserves in the first phase of the deal, arguing that the issue should be postponed to later nuclear talks. However, US negotiators reportedly warned through intermediaries that Washington would abandon negotiations and resume military operations if no commitment on the stockpile was included in the initial framework.
The issue carries major strategic significance because most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to be stored at the Isfahan nuclear facility, which was targeted by US Tomahawk missile strikes last year. The strikes reportedly buried much of the material underground.
US military planners had recently discussed several options with Trump, including using bunker-buster bombs to destroy the uranium stockpile at Isfahan. Another proposal reportedly involved a joint US-Israeli commando raid to recover the material after Iran regained access to it following the strikes. However, the high-risk mission was never authorised due to concerns over potential casualties.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran currently possesses nearly 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity — a level close to weapons-grade enrichment.
US Iran May Discuss To Transfer Uranium Stockpile To Russia
Officials said one possible option under discussion is for Iran to once again transfer its uranium stockpile to Russia, similar to arrangements made under the 2015 nuclear deal brokered during the Obama administration. Another possibility involves diluting the enriched uranium to levels unsuitable for nuclear weapons production.
Future negotiations are also expected to address broader questions surrounding Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. The United States has reportedly pushed for a 20-year freeze on enrichment activities, while Iran has proposed a significantly shorter moratorium.
Another major component of the proposed agreement involves access to billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets held abroad. US officials said Tehran would receive phased access to reconstruction and financial funds only after reaching a final nuclear settlement, creating an incentive for Iran to remain engaged in the negotiations.
