Supreme Leader Orders Enriched Uranium to Stay in Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader has ordered officials to keep the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium inside Iran. The directive sends a clear signal that Tehran will not give in easily on one of Washington’s main demands in the nuclear talks. It also shows that Iran wants to hold a stronger position as pressure from the United States and Israel continues.
Two senior Iranian sources confirmed the order and said the decision reflects deep concern inside Tehran. Officials believe moving the stockpile abroad could leave Iran more exposed to future attacks. However, the step also raises the stakes in the talks, because President Donald Trump has said the United States will get the uranium, while Israeli officials have pushed for the same condition in any deal.
The dispute now sits at the center of a wider regional standoff. Iran says it still has the right to enrich uranium, and it also argues that some of the material serves medical and research needs. Even so, the Supreme Leader’s directive makes one point clear: Tehran is drawing a hard red line, and any future agreement will have to confront that reality head-on.
Trump, Israel And The IAEA Keep Pressure On Iran
Trump has kept up the pressure on Iran this month. He said the United States would get the uranium, and he also said Washington would likely destroy it after taking it. Israeli officials have told that Trump assured them the stockpile would leave Iran. They also said any peace deal must include that condition.
Iran, however, says its highly enriched uranium still has civilian uses. Officials point to medical work and to a research reactor in Tehran. In addition, they argue that the country has a right to continue enrichment under peaceful terms. That position keeps the uranium dispute at the center of the wider nuclear talks.
The IAEA has added to the pressure. In February 2026, it said it could not verify the current size or location of some affected stockpiles. The agency linked that gap to limits on access after the June 2025 attacks. Before the strikes, it had tracked about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. Officials believe some of that material may still remain at sites in Isfahan and Natanz.
Talks mediated by Pakistan are still moving forward, however, trust remains low on both sides. One Iranian source has pointed to possible ways to ease the crisis, including diluting the stockpile under IAEA supervision. Even so, the path ahead is narrow. The pressure is intense, but the search for a workable deal continues, and that may still open the door to a calmer next phase.
Web Resources On Iran Supreme Leader Orders Enriched Uranium to Stay in Country
1. Reuters.com : Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran.
2. US News.com : Supreme Leader Says Enriched Uranium Must Stay in Iran.
3. Times of Israel.com : Supreme leader forbids removal of near-weapons-grade uranium from Iran.