US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will not allow Iran to retain its stockpile of enriched uranium. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Sunday, Trump indicated that the US could take control of the uranium and possibly destroy it after seizure.
The issue of Iran’s uranium reserves remains one of the biggest sticking points in ongoing peace talks between Washington and Tehran. However, Iran has made it clear that it does not plan to hand over its uranium stockpile to the US.
Iran’s uranium stockpile at centre of tensions
According to reports, Iran currently possesses more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity, which is considered close to weapons-grade material. Trump claimed that much of this uranium had been buried underground following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
Trump suggested that securing this uranium remains one of the key objectives behind US actions against Iran, aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
‘We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it,’ Trump said while speaking to reporters.
Report claims Iranian leadership refused to transfer uranium
Trump’s remarks came amid reports that Iran has no intention of transferring its uranium stockpile abroad. According to a Reuters report citing two Iranian sources, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered that the country’s near weapons-grade uranium must not be sent out of Iran.
The reported directive could further complicate negotiations related to ending the conflict between the two countries.
Peace talks face fresh challenges
Israeli officials reportedly told Reuters that Trump had assured Israel that Iran’s existing highly enriched uranium stockpile would be removed from the country as part of any future peace agreement. The removal of uranium reserves has been described as a key condition for any deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also stated that military action against Iran will continue until its enriched uranium stockpile is eliminated. Netanyahu additionally said that ending Iran’s support for proxy groups and dismantling its ballistic missile capabilities are essential conditions for ending the conflict.
First published on: May 22, 2026 07:57 AM IST
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