Iran has agreed to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of an emerging agreement with the United States aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between Washington, Israel, and Tehran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The New York Times.
Citing two US officials, the report said However, while Tehran has committed in a general sense to relinquishing the material, the exact mechanism for surrendering or transferring the uranium has not yet been finalised. Officials said those details are expected to be worked out after a formal agreement is signed.
The issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile has remained one of Washington’s central demands in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and curbing Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
US weighed military options
The report further stated that military planners had recently prepared multiple options for Trump to target Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, much of which is believed to be stored deep underground at the Isfahan Nuclear Facility. According to the report, the options under consideration included bunker-busting airstrikes as well as a potential joint US-Israeli commando operation targeting the facility. However, officials said the commando raid proposal was ultimately not approved.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran currently possesses around 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity. Israeli officials have claimed that if further enriched, the stockpile could potentially be sufficient to produce multiple nuclear weapons.
One option reportedly being discussed involves Iran transferring the enriched uranium stockpile to Russia, similar to arrangements made under the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated during the administration of former US President Barack Obama.
Another possibility under discussion is reducing the enrichment level of the uranium to make it unsuitable for weapons use as part of a broader diplomatic settlement.
Deal ‘largely negotiated’: Trump
In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump confirmed he is actively engaged in high-level discussions with an expansive coalition of regional leaders to secure a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding.
“An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,” President Trump stated, noting that final aspects are currently being discussed and will be announced shortly.
Before making the announcement, Trump held conversations with leaders and officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Turkiye and Bahrain. He also spoke separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Describing the talks as positive, Trump said the discussions centred around a “Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to peace”. He added that negotiators were now working on the remaining issues before formally announcing the deal.
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