Iran demands US steps before talks, insists on keeping enriched uranium

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announced that Tehran will not allow enriched uranium to be removed from the country, conditioning the resumption of negotiations on the United States taking steps to build trust. He made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir in Tehran on Tuesday.

Rezaei, as quoted by Iranian state television, said: "Not even a small amount of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran. These resources are an important asset and a national treasure for the Iranian people, and are intended for use within the country."

He added that talks would not resume until Washington takes confidence-building measures, starting with meeting Iran’s conditions, in a position that places the enriched uranium file among the main points of contention between the two sides.

Rezaei’s statements coincided with diplomatic efforts led by Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, who also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran to discuss mediation efforts and regional developments, according to Iran’s Nour News agency. Munir also met Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to discuss Iran’s conditions for resuming negotiations and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

According to an Iranian statement on the meeting, Ghalibaf said Washington would not regain Tehran’s trust unless it meets the seven conditions Iran set last month for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s demands include lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, ending US sanctions on Iranian oil exports, halting hostilities on all fronts in the region, among other conditions.

Pakistan acts as the main mediator between the United States and Iran. Previous efforts led to a temporary agreement in June, but the Islamabad memorandum stalled after fighting resumed weeks after it was signed, bringing mediation efforts back into focus amid ongoing disputes over the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz.