Tehran Reportedly Agrees to Surrender Highly Enriched Uranium
Iran has reportedly agreed to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of an emerging peace deal with the United States, while Pakistan prepares to host new negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a significant diplomatic breakthrough aimed at halting regional hostilities, Iran has reportedly agreed to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as a cornerstone of an emerging peace agreement with the United States. The development comes as Pakistan prepares to host a new round of high-level negotiations between Washington and Tehran in the "very near future."
According to reporting by The New York Times, which cited U.S. officials, Iran's commitment to surrendering its high-level nuclear material is a decisive condition for the proposed deal to end the war and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
While the specific mechanism for disposing of the stockpile remains under discussion, with options including a transfer to Russia or diluting the material to lower enrichment levels, the agreement marks a major concession from Tehran.
This nuclear pivot is considered essential for the success of the broader diplomatic framework.
For the Donald Trump administration, securing the removal of Iran's enriched uranium is viewed as a prerequisite to blunt potential Republican opposition within Congress.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Tehran initially resisted including the uranium file in the first phase of talks. However, Iranian negotiators reportedly shifted their stance after U.S. mediators warned that Washington was prepared to abandon diplomacy and resume large-scale military operations.
The move toward a deal follows a period of intense military deliberation.
U.S. military planners recently presented President Trump with several options for targeting the Isfahan nuclear facility, where much of Iran's uranium is stored.
These plans included the potential use of "bunker buster" munitions to destroy underground assets and a proposed joint U.S.-Israeli commando raid.
Despite these presentations, Trump has reportedly withheld approval for kinetic action, telling Axios that the situation had reached a binary choice: "either we hit them very hard... or we sign a good deal."
Currently, Iran is estimated to possess approximately 970 pounds of uranium enriched to the 60% level. Relinquishing this stockpile would pave the way for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
However, U.S. negotiators have proposed that these funds be placed into a reconstruction account with restricted access, serving as collateral to ensure Tehran's continued adherence to future phases of the agreement.
The diplomatic momentum is being heavily supported by regional mediation.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday via his official social media account that Islamabad is ready to provide the environment for the next round of discussions.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday he hoped his country could soon host the next round of peace talks between Iran and the United States.
"Pakistan will continue its peace efforts with utmost sincerity and we hope to host the next round of talks very soon," Sharif, whose country has played a key role in mediating between Washington and Tehran, posted on X.
Simultaneously, President Trump indicated on "Truth Social" that an agreement has been "largely negotiated."
Trump confirmed he has held a series of "very good" telephone calls with a coalition of regional leaders to finalize the peace framework. This regional coordination includes the heads of state from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, as well as Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir.
The U.S. President also held a separate phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) currently includes provisions for a formal ceasefire, the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of U.S. maritime blockades. If signed, the MOU would establish a 30 to 60-day window for exhaustive negotiations regarding a comprehensive nuclear annex.
Despite the optimism, internal and external friction remains. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained a hardline stance, insisting that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened completely without Iran imposing "taxes or tolls."
Furthermore, President Trump described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being "divided" on the emerging deal.
Israeli officials suggest Netanyahu remains deeply skeptical of the diplomatic route and has privately urged the U.S. to consider further military strikes to ensure Iran's nuclear infrastructure is permanently neutralized.
While the reported willingness to surrender enriched uranium suggests a shift toward de-escalation, the technical details of the disposal mechanism and the political pressure from regional allies indicate that major disputes remain unresolved ahead of the upcoming talks in Islamabad.