Iran proposes uranium transfer in US diplomacy push

Iran has floated a plan to dilute and transfer its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent to a third country, as Tehran seeks to break a diplomatic deadlock with the United States and secure a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

People familiar with Iran’s position said the proposal would involve first reducing the enrichment level of the material and then moving it outside Iran under arrangements recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The idea would go beyond President Masoud Pezeshkian’s public statement this week that Tehran was prepared to dilute its 60 per cent stockpile and allow international verification.

The uranium proposal is being discussed alongside a broader seven-day Iranian road map conveyed to Washington through Qatar, under which the Strait of Hormuz could reopen if the United States meets conditions set by Tehran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the timetable would start once Washington accepted the plan and that the strategic waterway could reopen on the sixth day if agreed steps were implemented.

Tehran’s approach links the immediate security crisis in the Gulf with a possible return to negotiations over its nuclear programme. Iranian officials have demanded an end to military operations against Iran, the lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports, access to frozen Iranian assets and relief from oil-related restrictions before the strait is fully reopened.

The principal obstacle remains the order in which the two sides would act. Iran wants Washington to implement key commitments before Tehran restores normal passage through Hormuz, while the United States has pressed for the waterway to reopen first. That sequencing dispute has become central to the latest diplomatic exchanges in New York during the UN General Assembly.

Pezeshkian said Tehran was willing to reduce the enrichment level of its uranium and submit the process to verification, while calling for a return to commitments contained in a June memorandum of understanding between the two sides. His comments provided the clearest public indication that Iran may be prepared to address one of Washington’s core nuclear concerns as part of a wider settlement.

The precise status of the transfer proposal remains unclear. A senior Iranian official separately said Tehran would show no flexibility over its nuclear programme even if the United States accepted the Hormuz plan, underscoring differences between public formulations and ideas circulating in diplomatic discussions. No final agreement has been announced, and Washington has not publicly accepted Tehran’s seven-day timetable.

The nuclear issue is particularly sensitive because Iran has accumulated a large quantity of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, a level far above that normally used for civilian power generation and close to weapons-grade enrichment. The IAEA reported that Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to that level as of June 13, 2025, before inspectors lost continuity of knowledge over parts of the programme following military attacks and Tehran’s suspension of some co-operation.

A transfer of the material after dilution would revive options considered in earlier negotiations, including proposals to place enriched uranium under international supervision outside Iran. Such an arrangement could reduce the immediate proliferation risk while leaving broader questions over Iran’s future enrichment capacity, centrifuge activity and inspection regime for subsequent talks.

The initiative has also become tied to efforts to stabilise shipping through Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. Iran has indicated that any settlement must address hostilities beyond its borders, including fighting involving Lebanon, while US officials have sought a package that deals with the strait, regional security and the nuclear programme together rather than as separate tracks.