Khamenei says enriched uranium must stay

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has directed that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile must remain inside the country, according to two senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters on May 21. The order hardens Tehran’s position on one of the main U.S. demands in talks tied to a conditional ceasefire and a broader negotiation over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. The dispute comes as Pakistan-mediated diplomacy continues after a war that began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. It also lands while the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most shipping and while Washington and Tehran continue to trade threats. ### Why does the uranium itself matter so much? Iran’s disputed material is its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, a level Western governments say is far above civilian requirements and closer to weapons-grade purity. Reuters, in the May 21 report carried by Channel News Asia, said Israeli officials had told the news agency that President Donald Trump had assured Israel the stockpile would be sent out of Iran under any peace deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran. (channelnewsasia.com) Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. The House of Commons Library said the 2026 talks cover Iran’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes, sanctions relief, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction and a long-term peace agreement. That means the uranium question is being negotiated alongside several other unresolved security issues rather than as a stand-alone technical matter. (channelnewsasia.com) ### What exactly did Khamenei’s directive say? “The stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” one of the two senior Iranian sources told Reuters, according to the May 21 report. The same report said Iran’s leadership believes sending the material abroad would leave the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel. Reuters said Khamenei has the final say on major state matters. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The House of Commons Library said Ali Khamenei was killed in the February 28 strikes and that his son was appointed as successor. Reuters and follow-up reports cited by other outlets identify the current supreme leader as Mojtaba Khamenei. ### How do these talks fit into the 2026 war? February 28 is the date the House of Commons Library gives for the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. (channelnewsasia.com) The same briefing says Iran responded with counter-strikes on Israel, U.S. military bases in the region, and military and civilian locations in Arab states, and that a conditional ceasefire was declared on April 8 and later extended. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) Reuters said the ceasefire remains shaky and that there has been no major breakthrough in peace efforts. The report said a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz have complicated negotiations. ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz part of a nuclear story? The Strait of Hormuz carries around 20% of global petroleum and 20% of liquefied natural gas, according to the House of Commons Library. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The same briefing says about 3,000 vessels used the route each month before the conflict and that traffic has fallen to around 5% of that level while the strait remains effectively closed. (channelnewsasia.com) Pakistan is mediating the current talks, and the House of Commons Library says the agenda includes freedom of navigation through the strait as well as sanctions and Iran’s military programmes. In practice, that links any nuclear bargain to regional shipping, energy exports and military de-escalation. That connection is an inference from the negotiating agenda described by the Library and Reuters’ reporting on the ceasefire talks. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) ### What does this leave negotiators trying to solve next? April 24 is the publication date of the House of Commons Library briefing saying the ceasefire had been extended until talks conclude. The same briefing says two sets of U.S.-Iran talks were held in 2026, with earlier Oman-mediated negotiations in February followed by the current Pakistan-mediated channel after the war began. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The next step remains the same set of named issues now on the table: Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, sanctions relief, ballistic missiles, reconstruction and access through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House and Iran’s foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment in the May 21 report. (channelnewsasia.com) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)