Iranian Atomic chief Mohammad Eslami has indicated Tehran may be willing to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium if all international sanctions imposed on the country are lifted, according to state news agency ISNA.
The remarks of the Iranian Atomic chief come as Tehran said earlier in the day that distrust with the United States has persisted despite the resumption of talks amid Iran-US tensions.
The statement signals a potential opening for renewed negotiations amid long-running tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“In conclusion, in response to a question about the possibility of diluting 60 percent enriched uranium… the head of the Atomic Energy Organization said that this depends on whether all sanctions would be lifted in return,” the official IRNA news agency reported, referring to agency chief Mohammad Eslami, without specifying whether this included all sanctions on Iran or only those imposed by the United States, AFP reported.
How does diluting Uranium take place?
Diluting uranium involves mixing it with other materials to lower its enrichment level, ensuring the final product stays below a specified threshold. Before US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities in June last year, Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 per cent—well above the 3.67 per cent limit set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, AFP reported.
Western countries, led by the United States, suspect that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons—a claim Iran denies.
According to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state enriching uranium to 60 per cent.
The fate of over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium that Iran held before the conflict remains unknown, with UN inspectors last recording its location on June 10.
If enriched to 90 percent, this stockpile could potentially be used to produce more than nine nuclear bombs.
Iran-US relations
Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran still holds “deep distrust” for the United States despite agreeing to return to talks on its disputed nuclear programme, as reported by AFP.
“We are looking for serious negotiations to achieve a result, provided the other side shows the same seriousness and is also ready for constructive negotiations,” the minister said.
“Unfortunately, a deep mistrust persists due to the behavior of the United States in recent years,” he said, addressing ambassadors at a diplomatic gathering in Tehran.
US-Iran talks on Tuesday
Ali Larijani, adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, is set to visit Oman on Tuesday following indirect US-Iran talks there, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Last week, US and Iranian diplomats held Omani-mediated discussions in the Gulf state to revive diplomacy amid a US naval buildup near Iran and Tehran’s warnings of a severe response if attacked, as reported by Reuters.
“During this trip, (Larijani) will meet with high-ranking officials of the Sultanate of Oman and discuss the latest regional and international developments and bilateral cooperation at various levels,” Tasnim said.
The date and venue of the next round of talks have yet to be announced.
Last year, Iran and the US held five rounds of talks aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program, but negotiations broke down mainly over disputes concerning uranium enrichment in Iran. In June, the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities following a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign.
Since then, Tehran has claimed it has halted enrichment activities, which the US sees as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes, Reuters reported.
The US seeks to include Iran’s ballistic missile program in the negotiations, but Tehran has firmly rejected this.
The United States had threatened military action against Iran at the height of the nationwide protest movement earlier this year, which was met with a deadly crackdown by authorities, AFP reported.
US President Donald Trump later expressed optimism that Iran might be open to a deal, though there was no immediate indication that the protests were discussed during Friday’s Omani-mediated talks, AFP reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
