Pakistan claims breakthrough reached on Iran’s uranium stockpile

Pakistan’s foreign minister says Tehran has agreed to dilute its uranium stockpile, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claims Qatar is set to release $6 billion in frozen assets.

By World Israel News Staff

Pakistan’s foreign minister said Sunday that Iran had agreed to reduce its uranium enrichment level from 60% to 0.7% as technical talks with the United States opened in Switzerland, while Iran’s president said Qatar would release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds as part of the preliminary understandings.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Al Arabiya that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains in underground facilities, but said Tehran had agreed to lower its enrichment levels as part of the negotiations.

The talks began at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, where US and Iranian delegations are holding follow-up discussions after a preliminary memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the recent war and setting terms for a broader agreement.

Dar said he was confident the negotiations would lead to a final deal between Washington and Tehran.

According to Dar, three technical teams are taking part in the talks and are expected to address the nuclear file, frozen Iranian assets and issues related to Lebanon.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said separately that Qatar would release $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds as the talks begin, according to IRNA.

The money is part of Iranian assets that had been held in Qatar under earlier US-Iran arrangements and had become one of the financial issues surrounding the current negotiations.

The negotiations are being mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.

Vice President JD Vance is leading the American delegation, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also involved.

The Iranian delegation includes senior political and diplomatic officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to regional reports.

The Switzerland talks are expected to run under a 60-day framework. The agenda includes Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, the status of Iranian funds abroad, oil exports, regional ceasefires and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Dar said there would be no transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day negotiation period. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council had earlier said ships seeking passage through the strait would not be charged during the period, with the Iranian government covering the costs.

Iranian authorities have said vessels must still coordinate transit requests in advance, citing security and navigation concerns after months of regional fighting.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of tension since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have closed the waterway in response to what Tehran described as violations of ceasefire commitments.

US officials have disputed claims that the strait is closed, saying commercial vessels have continued to move through the area.

The nuclear issue remains the central part of the talks. Iran has long insisted that it has a right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes, while the United States and its allies have sought strict limits on enrichment, stockpiles and inspection access.

A reduction from 60% enrichment to 0.7%, if implemented and verified, would mark a major change in Iran’s nuclear posture.

Uranium enriched to 60% is far above the level used for ordinary civilian nuclear power and close to weapons-grade levels. Uranium enriched to 0.7% is roughly the level found in natural uranium.