Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has directed that Iran’s uranium stockpile should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran’s stance in US-Iran peace talks involving Pakistan-mediated diplomacy.
The directive challenges a key US and Israeli demand that Iran’s highly enriched uranium leave the country under any agreement to end the conflict.
Israeli officials told Reuters that US President Donald Trump had assured Israel that Iran’s enriched uranium would be removed from Iran in any deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war cannot end unless Iran’s enriched uranium is removed, its proxy support stops, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated.
The White House and Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
The talks remain strained by a US blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route. Pakistan is mediating negotiations while a shaky ceasefire remains in place.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s top peace negotiator, said US moves showed preparations for new attacks. Trump said Wednesday that Washington could launch further strikes if Iran rejected a deal.
BREAKING: 🇮🇷 Iran's Supreme Leader orders that uranium stockpile must remain inside the country, according to Reuters report.
Looks like a huge dealbreaker.
Negotiations in trouble. pic.twitter.com/l0I8EeN1lO
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) May 21, 2026The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated Iran had 440.9kg of uranium enriched to 60% before the June 2025 attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Analysts cited by multiple reports say the fate of that stockpile remains a central dispute in the negotiations.
Read: Trump, Netanyahu, Iran Split Grows Over Strike Pause
One Iranian source said a possible formula could involve diluting the stockpile under IAEA supervision rather than transferring it abroad. Iran says some enriched uranium is needed for medical purposes and a Tehran research reactor.
