Who will control Iran's enriched uranium? US says Washington will; Tehran insists on its right to enrich
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Who will control Iran's enriched uranium? US says Washington will; Tehran insists on its right to enrich")
Deal to end the Iran US war is possible by the weekend Photograph: (AFP | WION Combination image)
A senior US official said a proposed agreement with Iran would lead to the destruction and removal of Tehran's highly enriched uranium stockpile and the dismantling of its nuclear program. The deal extends a ceasefire by 60 days
Iran and the US have hinted that a deal could be signed in the weekend or early next week to end the ongoing war. However, several issues including the enriched uranium remains the bone of contention. While Washington claims that Iran's enriched uranium will be taken over, Tehran still highlights its right for enriched uranium.
What the US said?
According to reports, an US official said that the emerging memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran “leads to” Washington getting Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The agreement provides for the uranium to be destroyed on site before being removed from Iran. The official described the draft agreement as broad in scope, extending beyond Iran's nuclear programme to include regional issues such as Lebanon, where Israel continues to battle Iran-backed Hezbollah. He also suggested that Iran's reduced leverage in the Strait of Hormuz had strengthened Washington's negotiating position and expressed confidence that the deal had an 80-85 per cent chance of being finalised.
What Iran said?
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Iran has reportedly taken significant steps to secure its cache of near bomb-grade uranium. According to reports quoting US intelligence assessments, Tehran has collapsed tunnels, sealed access points and planted explosive mines around storage locations housing roughly half a tonne of highly enriched uranium. These measures have made any potential operation to remove or destroy the material substantially more difficult. The fortifications could complicate implementation of any future agreement and raise questions about who would be responsible for retrieving the uranium if a deal is reached.
This comes in the backdrop of Iran repeatedly maintaining that uranium enrichment is its sovereign right under international agreements. It has also added that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Tehran has also pushed back against claims that a final agreement has already been approved, with Iranian media recently reporting that no agreed text currently exists.
What are international offers on Iran's uranium?
Russia has repeatedly offered to host Iran's enriched uranium on its own soil as part of a comprehensive peace arrangement. Pakistani media reported that through back-channel diplomacy Iran expressed willingness to transfer a portion of its 60 per cent highly enriched uranium stockpile to an external third country. Al Jazeera also reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that highly enriched uranium must not be shipped abroad.
