Mojtaba Khamenei Orders Iran To Keep Highly Enriched Uranium Inside, Reuters Reports

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly ordered that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain inside the country, with the directive prohibiting exporting weapons-grade enriched uranium, Reuters reported citing two Iranian sources.

The issue is central to negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, and Reuters reported that Iranian officials believe removing the uranium would leave Iran more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel.

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Russian media outlet Interfax reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the idea of transferring and storing Iranian enriched uranium in Russia.

In parallel, Iranian officials said there is deep suspicion within Tehran that the current ceasefire could be used tactically by Washington to create a sense of security before renewed military strikes, and Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that American “overt and covert” actions indicate preparations for new attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Miami that there were “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, but warned any such deal would be “unfeasible” if Iran pursues measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio told reporters, “No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can't happen [and] it would be unacceptable,” as the United States and Iran remained at odds over the enriched uranium stockpile and the Strait of Hormuz tolls.

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The CNBC report said the latest U.S. proposal “has narrowed the gaps to some extent,” according to the semiofficial Iranian Students' News Agency, or ISNA, which reportedly said that “further reductions require an end to the temptation for war from Washington.”

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected discussions between Iran and Oman about building a payment system to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters on Thursday, “We want it open. We want it free. We don't want tolls.”

A confidential report cited by یورونیوز said the International Atomic Energy Agency has not had access to Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpiles since the 12-day war, warning that there has been a disruption in updating information about the inventory of nuclear materials at facilities targeted during the attacks.

The report emphasized that the five-month lack of access by the agency to these nuclear materials in Iran means that the verification process under standard safeguards procedures has long been delayed, and it said the disruption must be resolved immediately.

The same report said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned in an interview with the Associated Press that this stockpile, if Iran decides to weaponize its program, could be sufficient to build up to 10 nuclear bombs, while stressing that it does not mean Iran possesses such weapons.

Meanwhile, Reuters-cited reporting in the Middle East Monitor said Iranian officials believe removing the uranium from the country would leave Iran more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel, and it said Iranian leaders are seeking guarantees that the United States and Israel will not launch further attacks before entering detailed nuclear negotiations.