Iran rejects uranium transfer, calls it 'sacred' and contradicts Trump on Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei reaffirmed on April 17 that the decisions on the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear file rest completely with the Iranians. He asserted that even though Iran is willing to negotiate, the contradictory positions from the US reflect a lack of seriousness and commitment to its obligations. He clarified that the rumours about transferring enriched Uranium are part of psychological warfare and emerged after the enemy failed to achieve its military objectives. Baghei describe the enriched uranium as “sacred” and non-negotiable.

Opening of the Strait of Hormuz

Baghei emphasised that the ceasefire was not a temporary pause, but an opportunity to bring the war to a complete end and remove the country from the shadow of military threats. He said that Iran did not close the Strait of Hormuz, but it was the unsafe conditions resulted from the action of the enemy. He added that Iran, as a coastal state, has the right to assert full control over its territorial waters, and even at the height of the conflict, Iran assisted vessels not aligned with the aggressors to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz. The statements made by the US officials are largely rhetorical and lack any practical substance. He added that these recent remarks fall largely within the framework of the April 8 ceasefire understanding and do not constitute a new development, but it has not been fully implemented due to the failure of the US to uphold its commitments.

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Transferring of enriched Iranian uranium

Esmaeil Baghaei explicitly stated that "enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil", implying that giving up the uranium would be surrendering Iranian soil. He equated the nuclear program to a historic achievement that cannot be traded away for sanctions relief. This comes in total contradiction to US President Donald Trump's claims that the US and Iran would jointly use "lots of excavators" to remove the material and would be taken to the US, and an agreement on this transfer was already 100 per cent complete.

He maintained that Iran is looking for the continuation of the diplomatic apparatus and is fully committed to securing the interests of the Iranian people. He highlighted the synchronicity of the battlefield in diplomacy, stating that diplomacy is a continuation of the Iranian interest pursued by the Iranian army on the ground, now carried forward in the political and international arena.