Tehran: Iran has firmly dismissed reports suggesting it agreed to surrender its highly enriched uranium repository to the United States as part of an emerging diplomatic resolution. A senior Iranian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, clarified Sunday that the country’s controversial nuclear agenda is entirely excluded from the parameters of the ongoing preliminary truce discussions. The clarification directly contradicts recent statements from Washington indicating that Tehran had committed to relinquishing its near-weapons-grade materials to secure an immediate pause in regional hostilities.
According to the official diplomatic position detailed by regional sources, any substantial dialogue regarding Iran’s domestic nuclear capabilities and refined uranium reserves will be deferred entirely to subsequent negotiations aimed at establishing a definitive, long-term treaty. This strategic pushback follows public assertions by US President Donald Trump, who repeatedly vowed that Washington would eventually seize and neutralize Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves. While Western media outlets previously claimed that Iranian negotiators had consented to ship the material out of the country, local authorities emphasized that no administrative or military decision has been reached regarding the relocation of national assets.
The diplomatic friction unfolds alongside intensified regional consultations, highlighted by a high-profile meeting between Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir, where Iranian leadership accused Washington of operating with bad faith. Concurrently, reports indicate the Trump administration has notably reduced Israel’s direct involvement in the ongoing backchannel peace talks, dealing a considerable political blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s regional strategy. In related security developments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the arrest of an Iraqi national, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawud al-Saadi, for allegedly orchestrating targeted assassination threats against Ivanka Trump.
Amid the diplomatic maneuvering, international observers have urged caution regarding the true progress of the negotiations, with Russian representative Mikhail Ulyanov noting that Washington appears to be significantly exaggerating the success of the current baseline discussions. Meanwhile, the prolonged instability across major Middle Eastern trade routes continues to trigger global economic shockwaves. In India, domestic fuel prices experienced another upward surge due to the escalating crude oil market values, pushing retail petrol prices in New Delhi to 99.51 rupees per litre and diesel to 92.49 rupees per litre, further intensifying inflationary pressures on the local economy.
