Iran Won’t Budge on Keeping Its Uranium in the Country as Negotiations to End the War Continue

Iran ruled out transferring its enriched uranium outside the country as part of any deal with the U.S., with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei claiming there is no reason for doing so.

Speaking to Lebanon's Al Mayadeen outlet, which is aligned with Hezbollah, Baghaei went on to say that the U.S.'s strikes against the country's nuclear facilities last year made it impossible for there to be inspections by UN authorities.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency has no mechanism or protocol for inspecting damaged nuclear facilities under current conditions," Baghaei said.

Elsewhere, Iranian lawmaker Esmail Kowsari said the 2025 attacks spared the facilities where the country's enriched uranium are located.

"The aboveground buildings next to our nuclear facilities were destroyed, but neither the centrifuges nor the 60% enriched uranium were damaged," he claimed.

The remarks follow a report claiming that Tehran was showing flexibility to discuss more issues related to its nuclear program than before. It is unclear what that flexibility entailed.

Negotiations continue in the meantime, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast doubt on an agreement, saying some of the country's demands are "outrageous and ridiculous."

Speaking to press in Florida, Rubio then noted that President Donald Trump would prefer to solve "this and every problem diplomatically." However, he added, "sometimes that's not possible."

The remarks stand somewhat in contrast with those of President Donald Trump, who said renewed attacks against Iran are "highly unlikely" at the moment.

Trump made the comments in an interview with CNN, claiming that he favors refraining from returning to a full-fledged conflict while talks to curb Tehran's nuclear program continue. "It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement," the president told the outlet.

However, he also renewed threats against the country, saying the U.S. has three aircraft carriers in the region and they are "fully locked and loaded." "We have 38 bridges in our site that we can knock down in literally one hour," Trump added.

Trump is set to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday as negotiations continue. Israeli outlet Israel Hayom claimed that Al Thani would be presenting an Iran-approved proposal that would include lifting the U.S. naval and economic blockade in exchange for the reopening of the Hormuz Strait. That would mean Iran dropping its demand to control the waterway and charge tolls for passage. The outlet went on to note that $8 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatar would be unfrozen.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the U.S. to accept Tehran's latest offer, threatening with escalation if Washington doesn't.

"American voters have made their choice. Time for the White House to make its own. Our 2-day proposal stands: meet the requirements, including end to war on all fronts, and you will see results. Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell," Araghchi wrote on X on Sunday.