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Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive stating that the country’s enriched uranium must not be transferred abroad, according to Reuters, which cited two senior Iranian sources.
The order from the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, represents a direct rejection of demands reportedly made by the United States and complicates ongoing efforts to reach a settlement over the Iran nuclear issue and the wider conflict involving Israel.
Israeli officials told Reuters that US President Donald Trump had assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium—material that could potentially be used for nuclear weapons—would be removed from Iranian territory as part of any future agreement. They also said such a provision would be a core requirement of any peace deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel would not consider the conflict resolved unless Iran’s enriched uranium is removed, its support for regional proxy groups is halted, and its ballistic missile capabilities are significantly curtailed.
According to Iranian sources, senior officials in Tehran believe that transferring nuclear material abroad would make the country more vulnerable to future US and Israeli military strikes. They also noted that the Supreme Leader retains final authority over all major strategic decisions.
So far, diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict have not produced a breakthrough. Negotiations—reportedly mediated by Pakistan—are continuing amid heightened tensions, including restrictions and pressure related to Iranian ports and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials also reportedly suspect that the recent pause in hostilities may have been a tactical move by Washington designed to create a false sense of security before renewed airstrikes.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that “overt and covert actions by the enemy” suggest that the United States is preparing for further attacks.
President Trump has stated that the US is prepared to continue strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached, while also signaling that Washington may wait several days to receive a response.
Despite some narrowing of differences, major disagreements remain over Iran’s nuclear program—particularly the fate of its enriched uranium stockpiles and Tehran’s demand for recognition of its right to enrichment.
Iranian officials maintain that their priority is a lasting end to the conflict and credible guarantees that neither the US nor Israel will resume attacks. Only after such assurances, they say, would Tehran engage in detailed negotiations over its nuclear program.
