Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s directive could further irritate U.S. President Donald Trump and complicate negotiations aimed at resolving the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Israeli officials have informed Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is essential for creating an atomic weapon, will be exported from Iran and that any peace agreement must contain a stipulation regarding this matter.
Israel, the United States, and other Western nations have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, pointing to its enrichment of uranium to 60%, which is significantly higher than needed for civilian purposes and is closer to the 90% threshold required for weaponization. Iran denies any intentions to develop nuclear weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he will not consider the conflict resolved until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ceases its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are dismantled.
“The Supreme Leader’s directive and the consensus among the establishment dictate that the enriched uranium stockpile must remain in the country,” said one of the two Iranian sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
According to the sources, Iran’s senior officials believe that exporting the material would increase the country’s vulnerability to potential attacks from the United States and Israel. Khamenei has the final authority on key state issues.
The White House and Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
A fragile ceasefire is currently in effect following the war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Iran targeted Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases, leading to clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However, there have been no significant advancements in peace negotiations, with a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transport route, creating obstacles for talks mediated by Pakistan.
The two senior Iranian sources indicated there is considerable skepticism in Iran that the current pause in hostilities is merely a strategic maneuver by Washington to foster a false sense of security before resuming airstrikes.
Iran’s primary peace negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated on Wednesday that “obvious and hidden maneuvers by the enemy” indicate that the Americans are preparing for renewed attacks.
Trump mentioned on Wednesday that the U.S. is prepared to carry out further strikes on Tehran if Iran does not agree to a peace deal, although he suggested that Washington could wait a few days to “receive the appropriate responses.”
The two parties have begun to bridge some gaps, according to the sources, but significant divides remain regarding Tehran’s nuclear program — including the status of its enriched uranium and Tehran’s demand for acknowledgment of its right to enrich.
Iran hardens stance
Iranian officials have consistently asserted that Tehran’s priority is to achieve a permanent cessation of the war and secure credible guarantees that the U.S. and Israel will not initiate further attacks.
They indicated that only after such assurances are secured would Iran consider engaging in detailed discussions surrounding its nuclear program.
Israel is believed to possess a nuclear arsenal but has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of nuclear weapons, maintaining a decades-long policy of ambiguity on this subject.
Prior to the conflict, Iran had indicated a willingness to export half of its uranium stockpile enriched to 60%, a concentration far exceeding what is necessary for civilian purposes.
However, sources disclosed that this stance shifted following repeated threats from Trump to attack Iran.
Israeli officials have told Reuters that it remains uncertain whether Trump will opt for military action and whether he would authorize Israel to resume its operations. Tehran has promised a severe retaliation if attacked.
Nonetheless, the source mentioned that there are “feasible solutions” to address the situation.
“Options like diluting the stockpile under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency exist,” noted one of the Iranian sources.
The IAEA estimates that Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60% before Israel and the U.S. attacked Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. The extent of what remains is currently unknown.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stated in March that the remaining stock primarily resides in a tunnel complex within Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility, with the agency estimating that slightly over 200 kg is located there. The IAEA also believes some is housed in the extensive nuclear complex at Natanz, where Iran operated two enrichment plants.
Iran claims that a portion of its highly enriched uranium is necessary for medical applications and for a research reactor in Tehran that operates on relatively small quantities of uranium enriched to about 20%.
