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🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Conflict & Security

Iran's Supreme Leader Directs Uranium Stockpile Not to Be Sent Abroad

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Iran's Supreme Leader has directed that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be transferred abroad.
  • This directive complicates US demands at peace talks and signals a potential rift over Iran's nuclear program.
  • Israel has been assured by the US that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile would be removed as part of any deal.

Iran's decision to keep its enriched uranium stockpile within the country, as directed by the Supreme Leader, represents a significant hardening of its stance in ongoing nuclear negotiations. This move directly challenges key demands from the United States and its allies, particularly Israel, which has insisted on the removal of Iran's nuclear materials as a prerequisite for any peace deal.

The directive, revealed by senior Iranian sources, underscores the deep divisions that persist between Tehran and Washington regarding the future of Iran's nuclear program. While Iran maintains its program is exclusively peaceful, Western nations, including the US and Israel, accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, citing its enrichment levels as evidence.

Why should Iran move its material to another country?

· Esmail BaghaeiIran's foreign ministry spokesman affirmed the country's stance on not transferring uranium, questioning the rationale behind such a demand.

Israeli officials have previously stated that President Trump assured them of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile being sent out of the country. This new directive from Ayatollah Khamenei directly contradicts such assurances, potentially escalating tensions and complicating efforts to de-escalate the conflict. The sources cited sensitivity as the reason for anonymity, indicating the high stakes involved in this internal policy decision.

From Iran's perspective, retaining the enriched uranium is seen as a crucial security measure, safeguarding the nation against potential future attacks by the US and Israel. This stance highlights a fundamental difference in priorities: while the West focuses on non-proliferation, Iran prioritizes its national security and its right to nuclear enrichment, viewing it as a sovereign right. The path forward in negotiations appears increasingly challenging, with fundamental disagreements over the fate of Iran's nuclear materials and its enrichment capabilities.

The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country.

· One of the two Iranian sourcesThis source, speaking anonymously, revealed the core of the Supreme Leader's order and the internal consensus behind it.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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