Iran on Friday dismissed US President Donald Trump‘s claim that Tehran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium, with its foreign ministry stating the stockpile “is not going to be transferred anywhere.”“Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state TV.“Transfer of Iran’s enriched uranium to the US has never been raised in negotiations.”This comes after Trump had earlier said on Truth Social that, “The USA will get all Nuclear ‘Dust,’ created by our great B2 Bombers,” referring to enriched uranium allegedly buried during past US strikes.However, Baqaei said recent talks with Washington have focused on ending the conflict, not on uranium recovery.“The previous negotiations focused on the nuclear issue, but now the negotiations are focused on ending the war, and naturally the range of topics discussed has become wider and more diverse,” the Iranian spokesperson said.“The 10-point plan for lifting sanctions is very important to us. The issue of compensation for the damages incurred during the imposed war is of particular importance,” he added.
His remarks come after a report by US news outlet Axios suggested that the US and Iran were discussing a proposal under which Washington could release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran giving up its enriched uranium stockpile.Trump has earlier also told Reuters that the US could enter Iran at a “leisurely pace” to recover enriched uranium and bring it back.Before US strikes in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency estimated that Iran possessed about 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal.Since those strikes, the fate of the stockpile remains unclear, with Tehran denying access to inspectors at affected sites.Iran maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons and says, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has the right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme.Baqaei also criticised US statements on the Strait of Hormuz, calling them inconsistent. “We should not be influenced by the other side’s tweets,” he said. “The statements by American officials are filled with contradictions and lies, and this is nothing new. The opening or closing of the Strait of Hormuz does not happen on social media, but on the ground,” he added.
