A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday that Tehran has not agreed to hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, pushing back against earlier reports suggesting such a commitment was part of ongoing negotiations with the United States.
The source said Iran's nuclear programme was not included in the preliminary understanding currently under discussion between Washington and Tehran.
“The nuclear issue will be addressed in negotiations for a final agreement and is therefore not part of the current deal. There has been no agreement over Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to be shipped out of the country,” the source told Reuters.
The remarks come after two US officials told The New York Times that Iran had, in principle, agreed to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of a broader diplomatic framework aimed at reducing tensions in West Asia.
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According to the report, the mechanism for transferring or neutralising the uranium would be worked out during subsequent negotiations after a formal agreement is reached.
Separately, Axios reported that the draft understanding includes commitments from Iran to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons and to negotiate over suspending uranium enrichment activities, along with the removal of its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
In recent days, Washington and Tehran have stepped up negotiations over a possible framework tied to Iran's nuclear programme and regional security issues.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said both sides were discussing a memorandum of understanding as an initial step, which could eventually pave the way for a broader agreement within 30 to 60 days.
US President Donald Trump earlier said a future agreement was largely agreed upon, with only a few details left unresolved.
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One of the central issues in the discussions has reportedly been the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital shipping corridor through which nearly 20% of global oil and gas supplies moved before the recent conflict escalated.
Trump had suggested that the proposed agreement could lead to the reopening of the route, potentially easing pressure on global energy markets rattled by prolonged geopolitical uncertainty and supply disruptions.
However, Iranian state media later rejected claims that the Strait of Hormuz would be fully reopened under the proposed arrangement. Tehran maintained that control over the waterway, including shipping permissions and vessel transit procedures, would remain exclusively under Iranian authority.
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