Photo: EPA
A senior official in the administration of Donald Trump said Iran has broadly agreed to dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of ongoing negotiations with the United States, according to CBS News.
The official said Washington believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has already approved the core terms of a future agreement, although both sides still need to finalize several details before signing.
According to the report, the deal would be implemented in two stages. The first phase would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the lifting of the US blockade. After that, negotiations would continue over Iran scaling back parts of its nuclear program.
The Trump administration reportedly wants Iran to formally commit to giving up highly enriched uranium and address additional concerns tied to its nuclear activities.
The senior official described the potential agreement as stronger than the 2015 nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama, arguing that the earlier accord still allowed Iran to enrich uranium to certain levels.
“I think we are in a very good position right now to get a deal done,” the official said. “We also believe we can secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and achieve the president’s objectives regarding nuclear materials.”
At the same time, the official stressed that no final decisions have been made on unfreezing Iranian assets. Any sanctions relief, according to Washington, would depend on whether Iran complies with US national security demands and Trump’s conditions.
The report notes that Tehran now appears more willing to discuss issues it had previously refused to negotiate, especially after recent military escalation and pressure from the US and Israel.
Despite progress in talks, major disagreements remain over Iran’s uranium stockpiles and Tehran’s insistence on maintaining the right to enrich uranium.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that their primary demands are a full end to hostilities and guarantees that the US and Israel will not launch further strikes. Only then, they say, would Tehran be ready for broader negotiations over its nuclear program.
