US officials draw red line on enriched uranium in Iran nuclear talks

Senior White House officials have indicated that any agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme hinges on the country surrendering its enriched uranium stockpiles. Speaking on Friday, the officials stated that whilst recent discussions between American and Iranian negotiators had been productive, a deal remained far from certain and depended on Iran’s willingness to hand over its nuclear material.

The comments come after Iran claimed that recent attacks on shipping routes in the region were carried out by “a rogue element within its system” — a statement the American officials acknowledged but treated with apparent scepticism. The officials emphasised that negotiations had shown some promise but that fundamental disagreements remained unresolved.

In what amounts to a significant hardening of rhetoric, the White House representatives made clear that enriched uranium — often referred to colloquially as “nuclear dust” — was a non-negotiable requirement for any final settlement. “Either we reach an agreement or we don’t,” one official stated bluntly, suggesting that Iran’s position on this issue would be decisive.

The United States also signalled its military readiness should diplomatic efforts fail. Officials suggested that America possesses military options capable of ensuring Iran’s nuclear facilities remain inaccessible and non-operational, a pointed reminder of the military dimension underlying these negotiations.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.