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Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran
ByREUTERSMAY 21, 2026 13:37Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on one of the main US demands at peace talks.Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's order could further frustrate US President Donald Trump and complicate talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.Israeli officials have told Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, needed to make an atomic weapon, will be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include a clause on this.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated."The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” said one of the two Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.A satellite imagery taken on February 1, 2026, shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Isfahan nuclear site, Iran. (credit: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS)Iran's top officials, the sources said, believe that sending the material abroad would leave the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel. Khamenei has the last say on the most important state matters.The White House and Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.Deep suspicion among top Iranian officialsA shaky ceasefire is in place in the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Iran fired at Gulf states hosting US military bases and fighting broke out between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.But there has been no big breakthrough in peace efforts, with a US blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route, complicating negotiations mediated by Pakistan.The two senior Iranian sources said there was deep suspicion in Iran that the pause in hostilities was a tactical deception by Washington to create a sense of security before it renews airstrikes.Iran's top peace negotiator, Mohammad-Baqher Ghalibaf, said on Wednesday that "obvious and hidden moves by the enemy" showed the Americans were preparing new attacks.Trump said on Wednesday the US was ready t...
Exclusive: Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran ...
Item 1 of 2 A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, May 8, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS [1/2]A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, May 8, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabSummaryUS wants Iran's highly enriched uranium sent abroadTrump told Israel this will happen, Israeli officials saySupreme Leader says uranium must stay in Iran, sources sayDUBAI, May 21 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on one of the main U.S. demands at peace talks.Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's order could further frustrate U.S. President Donald Trump and complicate talks on ending the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Sign up here.Israeli officials have told Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, needed to make an atomic weapon, will be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include a clause on this.Israel, the United States and other Western states have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, including pointing to its move to enrich uranium to 60%, far higher than needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90% needed for a weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated."The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” said one of the two Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.Iran's top officials, the sources said, believe that sending the material abroad would leave the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel. Khamenei has the last say on the most important state matters.The White House and Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.DEEP SUSPICION AMONG TOP IRANIAN OFFICIALSA shaky ceasefire is in place in the war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Iran fired at Gulf ...
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says 'enriched uranium must stay in Iran'
A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, May 8, 2026. — ReutersUS wants Iran's highly enriched uranium sent abroad.Trump told Israel this will happen: Israeli officials. Supreme Leader says uranium must stay in Iran: sources. DUBAI: Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on one of the main US demands at peace talks.Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's order could further frustrate US President Donald Trump and complicate talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.Israeli officials have told Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, needed to make an atomic weapon, will be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include a clause on this.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated."The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” said one of the two Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.Iran's top officials, the sources said, believe that sending the material abroad would leave the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel. Khamenei has the last say on the most important state matters.The White House and Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.Deep suspicion among top Iranian officials A shaky ceasefire is in place in the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Iran fired at Gulf states hosting US military bases and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.But there has been no big breakthrough in peace efforts, with a US blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route, complicating negotiations mediated by Pakistan.The two senior Iranian sources said there was deep suspicion in Iran that the pause in hostilities was a tactical deception by Washington to create a sense of security before it renews airstrikes.Iran's top peace negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on Wednesday that "obvious and hidden moves by the enemy...
Iran's Supreme Leader orders enriched uranium to stay in country ...
Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, Reuters reported, citing two senior Iranian sources.The directive by Mojtaba Khamenei hardens Tehran’s position on one of the main U.S. demands in peace talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.“The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” one of the Iranian sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. This handout picture taken in Tehran on October 3, 2024, and provided by the office of Iran's supreme leader, shows Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026 in a US-Israeli military strike. (AFP Photo) Enriched uranium dispute complicates talksIsraeli officials have told Reuters that U.S. President Donald Trump has assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, needed to make an atomic weapon, will be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include a clause on the issue.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy militias and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated.Iran’s top officials believe sending the material abroad would make the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the U.S. and Israel, the two Iranian sources said.Khamenei has the final say on the most important state matters.The sources said the two sides had begun to narrow some gaps, but deeper disagreements remain over Tehran’s nuclear program, including the fate of enriched uranium stockpiles and Iran’s demand that its right to enrichment be recognized.Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran’s priority is to secure a permanent end to the war and credible guarantees that the U.S. and Israel will not launch further attacks.They said Iran would only be ready to engage in detailed negotiations over its nuclear program after such assurances are in place.Tehran has long denied seeking a nuclear bomb. An Iranian flag outside the building housing the reactor of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iranian port town of Bushehr, 1200 km south of Tehran, Iran, April 3, 2007. (AFP Photo) Iranian officials suspect renewed strikesA shaky cease-fire remains in place in the war that began with U.S.-Israeli s...
