Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a decree declaring that the Islamic Republic’s “near-weapons grade” uranium should not be sent overseas, according to two senior Iranian sources who spoke with Reuters.
"The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” two Iranian sources stated.
Khamenei’s directive comes a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) warned the U.S. and Israel of extending the conflict in the Middle East “beyond the region,” should they choose to restart aggressions.
The Supreme Leader’s order could complicate peace talks between the U.S. and Israel, given that both nations absolutely refuse to let Tehran have the capacity to develop a nuclear weapon.
Israeli officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump had assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be transferred to another country. President Trump had also told Israeli officials that any peace deal with Tehran would indefinitely include a clause on the matter.
Previously, Iran provided a proposal to end the conflict in the Middle East. As part of that proposal, Iran offered to have some of its stockpile diluted, with the rest being sent abroad as nuclear talks continue.
If talks between the parties failed, then Iran stipulated a peaceful transfer of its uranium back to its territory.
Before the launch of “Operation Epic Fury,” Iran reportedly also offered to ship out half of its enriched stockpile, which has been enriched to 60%.
That level of enriched uranium is far higher than what is necessary for civilian use.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed that he will not consider the war over until Iran’s enriched uranium is removed from the country, it ends its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are destroyed.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic’s priority is to ensure a permanent end to the war, with credible guarantees that neither the U.S. nor Israel will launch further attacks.
