Trump Agrees to Iran Uranium Dilution Under UN Supervision

US President Donald Trump has agreed that one possible solution to the Iranian nuclear issue is the dilution of highly enriched uranium within Iran under UN supervision, Axios reported on Friday. Previously, the United States had insisted that all highly enriched nuclear material be removed from Iran.

Concrete steps regarding Iran’s nuclear programme will be reported and implemented within the framework of a broader agreement, which could be reached after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. On Thursday, Trump said the memorandum, which provides for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without transit fees and the restoration of shipping volumes to pre-war levels within 30 days, could be signed as early as this weekend.

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched strikes against a number of targets in Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East. On 7 April, the US and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire, followed by talks in Islamabad that ended without result. Then, on 15 May, Trump stated he would be satisfied if Iran halted uranium enrichment for two decades. In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated it had no intention of relinquishing rights guaranteed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The US is seeking to curb Iran’s suspected nuclear ambitions, while Iran insists it must first receive peace guarantees before engaging in talks on its nuclear programme.