US and Iran Negotiate Removal of 1,000 Pounds of Uranium

The United States and Iran are deadlocked over the status of Iran's nuclear program as a temporary ceasefire nears its end. Donald Trump has demanded the total abandonment of the program and the surrender of approximately 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which the U.S. estimates is close to weapons-grade. While Iran maintains the program is a sovereign right, it has offered to dilute its stockpile or implement a five-year moratorium on enrichment.

Diplomatic efforts in Islamabad failed to reach a breakthrough after Trump rejected a 20-year ban proposed by Vice President J.D. Vance. Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, offered to host the uranium as a compromise, though Iranian officials stated that transferring enriched uranium abroad has never been a negotiation option.

Technical discussions now focus on the removal of the material, which is likely stored as gas in cylinders. The U.S. government has mobile capabilities to deploy labs within 30 days to convert the material into a stable oxide for transport to U.S. national labs. A primary challenge remains the precise location of the stockpile; while Trump claimed June 2025 strikes obliterated facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, other assessments suggest the program was only set back two years. Most of the material is believed to be in Isfahan, with the International Atomic Energy Agency expected to provide oversight for the process, which Trump acknowledged would be a long and difficult process.