The US has drawn a line in the radioactive sand. A senior official made clear that any deal with Iran, including sanctions relief and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, requires Tehran to hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium first. The material, buried beneath nuclear sites hit by US and Israeli airstrikes in 2025, has been nicknamed “nuclear dust.”
The official’s summary of the American position was blunt: “No dust, no dollars.”
What’s actually on the table
According to IAEA estimates, Iran possesses approximately 440.9 kg of uranium hexafluoride enriched to 60% and around 184.1 kg enriched to 20%. Much of this material is now buried under rubble from airstrikes that hit Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
A preliminary memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17, 2026, opening a 60-day negotiation window. The MOU covers three major issues: disposal of the enriched uranium, navigation rights through the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of sanctions.
