According to a New York Times report, Iran has agreed in principle to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under a proposed deal with the United States that aims to end the ongoing conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Citing two US officials, the report said Tehran has made a general commitment to give up its uranium stockpile, although the exact arrangements for doing so will be negotiated later during formal nuclear talks.The issue of Iran’s enriched uranium reserves has been one of Washington’s key demands in discussions on ending the war.Iran initially opposed the inclusion of the uranium issue in the first phase of the agreement and wanted it to be deferred to later talks. However, US negotiators reportedly told through mediators that Washington would walk away from the talks and resume military operations if no initial commitment was received from Tehran.
US considers military options on uranium reserves
The report said military planners had recently developed options for President Donald Trump to target Iran’s uranium reserves, most of which are believed to be stored underground at the Isfahan nuclear facility. Options discussed included bunker-busting attacks and even a possible joint US-Israeli commando raid, although the latter was never approved.According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is believed to have about 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 percent. Israeli officials have claimed that if this stockpile were further enriched it could potentially be enough for several nuclear weapons.One possible option under discussion could involve Iran handing over the stockpile to Russia, similar to the arrangement made under the 2015 nuclear deal during the administration of former US President Barack Obama.Another possibility could involve converting uranium to a low enrichment level unsuitable for weapons use.
Trump says the agreement has been largely negotiated
The development comes amid growing optimism over a possible breakthrough in Iran-US talks. Earlier, President Trump had said that an agreement to end the war had been “substantially negotiated.”Trump said “final aspects and details” were still being discussed and described the proposed arrangement as a “peace-related memorandum of understanding.”The draft framework being discussed could include a formal declaration of ending the war, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and starting new talks on Iran’s nuclear program within 30 to 60 days.However, Iran has said that nuclear issues are not part of the immediate talks at the moment.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai described the proposed understanding as a “framework agreement” for broader talks in the future, AP news agency reported.
Ceasefire remains fragile amid ongoing tensions
The discussions come after months of conflict that began following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February.Although a largely ceasefire has been in place since April, tensions remain high, with both sides repeatedly warning of renewed military action if talks fail.The Strait of Hormuz remains a major issue in the talks, with disruption to the waterway affecting global oil and energy supplies.Iran continues to demand the lifting of sanctions and access to frozen assets as part of any long-term agreement.