Iran refuses to give up enriched uranium, demands US concessions before talks

Tehran rules out transfer of its enriched uranium stockpile to any other country, while also placing preconditions on further negotiations with the US.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran will not transfer any of its enriched uranium abroad or resume negotiations with the United States until Washington meets Tehran’s conditions, senior Iranian officials declared Tuesday during talks with Pakistan’s army chief, who is attempting to mediate an agreement between the two countries.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, rejected American demands for the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile during a meeting in Tehran with Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“All enriched nuclear material will remain in Iran, and not a single particle will leave the country,” Rezaei said, according to Iranian state media.

He described the nuclear material as a national asset belonging to the Iranian people, intended for domestic use.

Rezaei also ruled out restarting negotiations without preliminary concessions from Washington.

“There will be no negotiations until America takes steps to build trust,” he declared, adding that the process must begin with the fulfillment of Iran’s conditions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a similar message during his meeting with Munir, accusing Washington of undermining previous diplomatic efforts through military action.

“The Americans must first remove the threats and sanctions; only then can we engage in dialogue,” Pezeshkian said.

“Today, our nation does not trust America,” he added, warning that Iranians believe negotiations could be followed by another American attack.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met Munir and reiterated Tehran’s insistence that the US fulfill seven conditions previously outlined by Iran.

The demands include ending the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, releasing frozen Iranian assets and ending hostilities across the Middle East.

Ghalibaf said Washington could not restore Iran’s confidence through military pressure, insisting that “threats and military maneuvers cannot influence Iran’s strategic decisions.”

Munir’s visit was part of Pakistan’s renewed effort to broker an agreement between Washington and Tehran following months of fighting and unsuccessful diplomatic initiatives.

Pakistan previously helped negotiate an interim agreement in June, known as the Islamabad Memorandum, but the arrangement collapsed after fighting between Iran and the US resumed.

Subsequent diplomatic efforts, including indirect contacts during the United Nations General Assembly in September, have failed to produce a breakthrough.

One of the principal obstacles remains Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity, approaching the approximately 90% level considered weapons-grade.

Washington has demanded substantial restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities, including the removal of enriched uranium from Iranian territory. Tehran has consistently rejected transferring the material abroad, although Iranian officials have previously suggested that dilution within the country could be considered.

US Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its enrichment capacity as a condition for resolving the conflict.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes, while Israel and Western governments have accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities.

The latest diplomatic exchanges come nearly eight months after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering a regional war that has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has maintained pressure on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway, while American sanctions and a naval blockade have sharply reduced Iranian oil exports.

Tensions have also risen over the possibility of renewed American military strikes. President Donald Trump has indicated that he will not launch another major attack before the November 3 US midterm elections, although Washington has continued expanding its military presence in the region.

On Monday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The following day, Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s objective of removing Iran’s ruling regime, saying he had discussed the issue repeatedly with Trump.

Neither Washington nor Tehran has announced a new round of formal talks.