Khamenei insists uranium stay in Iran

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered that Iran’s enriched uranium not be sent abroad, according to two senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters on May 21. The directive hardens Tehran’s position in indirect talks with the United States over a ceasefire and limits on Iran’s nuclear program. It also cuts against a central U.S. demand that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched material be removed from Iranian territory as part of any settlement. The dispute comes as negotiators are also trying to bridge differences over sanctions relief, ballistic missiles and security in the Strait of Hormuz. ### Why does the uranium’s location matter so much? Iran’s stockpile is at the center of the current argument because Washington and its allies have long treated physical control of nuclear material as a core safeguard. Reuters, citing Iranian sources, reported that Khamenei’s order covers Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium and rejects sending it out of the country. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, said Iran is believed to hold about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%. That level is below weapons grade, but Western governments have long said it is far above what is typically needed for civilian power generation. ### What does Tehran appear to be refusing? Khamenei’s directive appears to reject one of the clearest U.S. conditions for a broader deal: that enriched uranium be transferred out of Iran. The Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters, reported that Israeli officials said President Donald Trump had assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include such a clause. Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that keeping the material in Iran is now a fixed instruction from the top. That narrows the room for negotiators to use the stockpile as a tradeoff in exchange for sanctions relief or other concessions. ### Which other issues are still on the table? The House of Commons Library said in an April 24 research briefing that the 2026 U.S.-Iran talks cover more than enrichment levels. The briefing lists U.S. sanctions, Iran’s ballistic missile program and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz among the main issues under discussion. The same briefing says the diplomatic track is tied to efforts to sustain a ceasefire and reopen Hormuz, a major route for global oil and gas shipments. That means the nuclear file and regional security questions are being negotiated together rather than in isolation. ### What have Iranian officials said publicly? Iran’s top negotiator warned on May 23 of “crushing” and “bitter” consequences if the United States “foolishly” restarted the war, according to The Times of Israel live coverage. That language underscored how closely Tehran is linking diplomacy to deterrence after months of conflict. The Times of Israel also cited Israeli officials as saying the United States had largely excluded Israel from the talks. Those officials said Israel was piecing together developments through regional contacts and surveillance, reflecting the sensitivity around the negotiating channel. ### Why are oil markets watching this so closely? The Strait of Hormuz remains the key energy-market pressure point because any renewed fighting or failed deal could threaten shipping through the waterway. The House of Commons Library said reopening Hormuz is part of the broader diplomatic agenda, and CNBC TV18 reported that tensions around the talks were feeding concern about crude prices and tanker security. Energy traders typically focus on whether supply is actually disrupted, but unresolved negotiations can still keep a risk premium in prices when Hormuz is involved. In this case, the unresolved question is not only whether Iran will curb its nuclear activity, but whether a ceasefire framework can hold while the sides still disagree on uranium, missiles and sanctions. May 23 is the latest public marker in that process, with Iranian warnings still escalating even as indirect diplomacy continues. The next concrete sign of progress is likely to come through further U.S.-Iran statements on ceasefire terms, sanctions and the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.