Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has ordered that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's position on one of Washington's central demands in peace talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Iran Refuses To Export Uranium Stockpile
Something went wrong.
"The Supreme Leader's directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country," one of the Iranian sources told Reuters on Thursday. The sources said Iran's top officials believe exporting the material would leave the country more vulnerable to future U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Khamenei has final authority over Iran's most important state matters. His directive could further frustrate President Donald Trump, who vowed on Thursday that the United States would not allow Iran to retain highly enriched uranium.
