Iran says its “nuclear materials will not leave the country,” but it has another proposition for the United States
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Friday, January 9, 2026. Credit: Iranian Supreme Leader'S Office/ZUMA Press Wire / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Iran refuses to export its 300 kilogram stockpile of highly enriched uranium but is willing to dilute its purity and will make a proposal to the United States to do so in the coming days, Iranian sources told The Guardian.
The proposal will be the centerpiece of an Iranian offer to be made to the United States as US President Donald Trump considers using the massive build-up of naval forces in the Middle East to attack Iran.
The Islamic Republic currently has a stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium, close to weapons grade, but is willing to reduce its purity to 20 percent or even lower.
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“Nuclear materials will not leave the country”
Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US has not asked Iran to give up its right to enrich uranium inside the country. Instead, the discussion focused on purity and the number of centrifuges allowed.
The Guardian wrote that there had been discussions about sending the stockpile to Russia and connecting Iran's enrichment program with a consortium abroad, but Iranian sources insist the idea of a consortium has not been broached.
“We emphasized this position during the negotiations, that the nuclear materials will not leave the country,” an Iranian diplomat was quoted as saying by media close to the government.
Based on the Iranian offer, Trump will likely determine whether or not he feels compelled to launch military action against Iran.
In a US interview broadcast on Friday, Araghchi said: “Washington has not asked Tehran to permanently suspend uranium enrichment.”
“It is not true that the United States has asked for a complete cessation of enrichment,” the head of Iranian diplomacy also said.
Araghchi was contradicted by the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, who said that Washington wanted a policy of “zero enrichment” from Iran.
On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not give in to pressure from major powers.
“The great powers are lining up to force us to bow our heads … but we will not do so, despite all the problems they create for us,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast live on state television, as quoted by Reuters.
Iranian president: “We will not give in to pressure. Great powers are aligning to force us to bow our heads”
