Iran Hints at Dilute Uranium Stockpile if Sanctions Get Lifted
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) indicated that Tehran might show flexibility on US demands to end its nuclear program and adopt a “zero enrichment” policy. Washington has long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, while Tehran maintains that its program is exclusively civilian.
Tehran could consider diluting its uranium stockpile enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade, if “all sanctions would be lifted in return,” Eslami stated. He did not clarify whether this proposal applies solely to unilateral US sanctions or also to restrictions imposed by other countries.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment even under the threat of war, emphasizing the program’s national importance.
“Zero enrichment can never be accepted by us. Hence, we need to focus on discussions that accept enrichment inside Iran while building trust that enrichment is and will stay for peaceful purposes,” Araghchi stated on Sunday.
The diplomat further explained that Iran’s “insistence on enrichment is not merely technical or economic,” but is rooted in “a desire for independence and dignity.”
These remarks come amid rising regional tensions, as the US has recently deployed additional air and naval forces while repeatedly threatening military action. At the same time, Washington and Tehran have engaged in indirect talks in Oman, which Iran described as a “good start.”
Relations between the US and Iran, already strained for decades, worsened after unsuccessful negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program early last year. The stalled talks were followed by a 12-day conflict with Israel, culminating in US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. While Washington claims these strikes caused severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran maintains that its uranium enrichment capabilities were only minimally affected.
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