Iran's Supreme Leader Directs Enriched Uranium Not to Be Sent Abroad, Complicating US Talks

Tehran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has instructed that the country's highly enriched uranium not be sent abroad. Iranian sources indicate that this decision has created a new obstacle in the ongoing peace talks between the United States and Iran, according to media reports.

Iran's uranium stockpile and control is currently one of the main contentious issues in the negotiations. Therefore, this decision is considered particularly significant.

The US side, led by US President Donald Trump, has consistently demanded that Iran's enriched uranium be sent out of the country as part of any potential agreement. However, Iran's leadership believes that sending this material abroad would weaken the country further and make it more vulnerable to potential attacks from the US and Israel in the future.

According to sources, this is the reason why the supreme leadership has strictly enforced the policy of not sending uranium abroad. Based on discussions between US and Israeli officials, Trump had assured Israel about Iran's uranium stockpile being taken out of the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also insisted that to end any war, uranium must be removed, Iran must stop supporting regional militias, and ballistic missile capabilities must be reduced. Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian source, that according to the Iranian Supreme Leader's directive and institutional consensus, the stockpile of enriched uranium will not leave the country.

Meanwhile, although the negotiation process is moving forward with Pakistan's mediation, significant progress has not been made. Pakistan is trying to advance the talks by facilitating the exchange of messages between the US and Iran.

The US side continues to pressure Iran, warning that if an agreement is not reached, military action could resume. Trump recently indicated that the situation could change quickly if a satisfactory response is not received, but that the talks could be given a few more days.

The Iranian side, on the other hand, appears to be adamant about not entering detailed nuclear negotiations unless the US provides a permanent ceasefire and security guarantees. Iran has long claimed that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

According to analysts, this latest decision regarding uranium has made the negotiations even more difficult, as this issue is at the center of the agreement. It is anticipated that it will become clear in the coming days whether both sides will back down from their main stances or if tensions will escalate further.