Iran has indicated it could hand over its stockpiles of enriched uranium, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, adding that the transfer is one of President Donald Trump’s top priorities.
Trump says one of his main reasons for starting the war was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, an intention Iran has long denied.
“This is a red line that the president will not stray from, and he is committed to making sure that happens,” Leavitt said at a news conference.
Continues after advertising
Asked whether Tehran had given any indication that it would hand over the uranium, Leavitt replied: “Yes, they have,” without elaborating.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) calculates that when Israel launched its first attacks in June, Iran had 440.9kg of uranium enriched to 60%. If enriched to higher purity, it could provide enough for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA benchmark.
Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful.
Nearly half of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity was stored in a tunnel complex in Isfahan and is probably still there, said the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi.
The tunnel complex is the only target that appears not to have been seriously damaged in attacks carried out last June by Israel and the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Right now, it’s buried and we’re watching. We know exactly what they have, and they know it,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday, saying Washington reserves the right to launch additional military strikes targeting enriched uranium if necessary.
Continues after advertising
In an address to the nation Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran’s enriched uranium would be removed by agreement or by force.
