Mojtaba Khamenei Directs Iran To Retain Uranium Stockpile Amid US Talks

Donald Trump has claimed that the United States will seize and destroy Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile as tensions over nuclear negotiations and maritime security escalate, amid renewed exchanges with Iranian leadership and ongoing indirect peace talks in the Middle East. Trump said the US would not allow Iran to retain highly enriched uranium, describing it as a non-negotiable issue in any future agreement. “We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it.

We’ll probably destroy it after we get it,” he said while responding to questions about Iran’s position. He also asserted that the United States maintains “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz through naval operations, a claim made as the strategic waterway remains central to global oil transport and regional tensions. The remarks came after reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had issued a directive opposing the transfer of the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium abroad.

Iranian officials reportedly argue that removing the stockpile would leave the country vulnerable to future military pressure from both the United States and Israel. According to diplomatic sources cited in international reporting, Israeli officials have said Trump assured them that any prospective peace deal would require Iran to export its enriched uranium stockpile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also maintained that the conflict cannot be considered resolved unless Iran’s nuclear programme, missile capabilities and support for regional proxy groups are addressed.

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Iran, however, continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons and maintains that its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes. Iranian officials have expressed suspicion that ongoing negotiations could be used strategically by the US and its allies, with senior figures warning that any pause in hostilities may be temporary rather than a durable ceasefire.

The broader conflict, which escalated earlier this year, has seen intermittent strikes, maritime tensions and regional spillover involving allied groups. Despite ongoing mediation efforts involving multiple international actors, including regional stakeholders, there has been no decisive breakthrough in securing a long-term settlement, with nuclear restrictions and control of strategic shipping routes remaining key sticking points in negotiations.

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