May 21, 2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has given a clear order — Iran’s highly enriched uranium will not be sent out of the country. Two senior Iranian officials confirmed this to Reuters.
Why does this matter?
The United States has been pushing Iran to ship its uranium stockpile abroad as part of any peace deal. President Trump even told Israeli officials that Iran’s enriched uranium — the kind that could be used to build a nuclear weapon — would be removed from Iran, and that any peace agreement must include this condition.
But Iran’s leadership has now said no.
One Iranian source explained: “The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country.” Iranian officials believe that giving up the uranium would make Iran weaker and more open to future attacks from the US or Israel.
What does Israel want?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war is not over until Iran’s enriched uranium is removed, Iran stops supporting armed groups in the region, and its ballistic missile program is shut down.
What happens next?
A shaky ceasefire is currently in place, but this new directive makes reaching a final deal much harder. The White House and Iran’s foreign ministry have not publicly responded.
The uranium issue remains the biggest sticking point between Iran and the West — and with the Supreme Leader now drawing a firm line, negotiations face a serious new obstacle.
Source: Reuters