Kazakhstan proposed receiving Iran's uranium stockpile enriched near the level used to make nuclear weapons if Washington and Tehran reach an agreement on the nuclear program of this Islamic Republic.
Mr. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that this Central Asian country expressed its goodwill to keep the above uranium during his meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana this week.
Mr. Grossi said that because the IAEA currently has a "low enriched uranium bank" in Kazakhstan, this may be a safe storage place for Iran's uranium.
He added that this option could be accepted by both the US and Iran. However, the final fate of the uranium stockpile will still depend on nuclear negotiations taking place after reaching a framework agreement.
The fate of about 440kg of Iranian uranium enriched to 60% purity is currently one of the most difficult issues in the negotiations between Washington and Tehran on an agreement to end the US-Israel conflict with Iran. US President Donald Trump requested that this uranium be transferred out of Iran.
Regarding public disclosure, Tehran said it does not want to hand over the uranium stockpile. However, according to well-informed sources, Iran may commit to discussing the dilution or transfer of fissile material within the framework of the agreement to extend the fragile ceasefire by another 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a framework for negotiations on the nuclear program.
A US official said on May 28 that negotiators from both sides had reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the agreement, but President Donald Trump has not yet approved this document and needs more time to consider.
US Vice President JD Vance then said that Washington "has not yet reached its destination", but the two sides have moved very close to an agreement. He said Iran's uranium stockpile is still a major disagreement.
The 440kg high-enriched uranium stockpile is believed to be lying under rubble at 3 main Iranian nuclear facilities including Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, places bombed by the US during Israel's 12-day conflict with Iran in June last year.
Experts believe that this amount of uranium, if further enriched to 90% purity, could be enough to make about 10 nuclear weapons.
Iran has always affirmed that its nuclear program only serves civilian and peaceful purposes. In addition to high-enriched uranium, Iran also has more than 9,000kg of uranium enriched at a lower level.
This week, President Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social that Iran's high-enriched uranium must be "transferred immediately to the US or better destroyed on the spot", under the supervision of the nuclear energy agency or equivalent organization.
Mr. Trump also noted that he "does not feel secure" if Russia or China are the recipients of Iran's uranium stockpile. In addition to the uranium issue, the US also wants Iran to accept a 20-year postponement of uranium enrichment.
