Iran has indicated it would turn over enriched uranium, White House says

WASHINGTON: Iran has indicated it would turn over its stocks of enriched uranium, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, adding that such a transfer was one of President Donald Trump’s main priorities.

Trump says one of his main reasons for launching the war was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, something Iran has long denied wanting to develop.

“That is a red line that the President is not going to back away from, and he’s committed to ensuring that takes place,” Leavitt told a briefing.

Asked whether the Iranians had given an indication they would hand over the uranium, Leavitt replied “They have, yes.” She did not give details.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that when Israel launched its first attacks in June, Iran had 440.9 kg of 60% uranium. If enriched further, that would provide enough needed for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

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Almost half of Iran’s uranium enriched to up to 60% purity was stored in a tunnel complex at Isfahan and is probably still there, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has said.

The tunnel complex is the only target that appears not to have been badly damaged in attacks last June by Israel and the U.S. on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“Right now, it’s buried, and we’re watching it. We know exactly what they have, and they know that,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters separately on Wednesday, saying Washington reserved the right to launch more military strikes targeting the enriched uranium if needed.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran’s enriched uranium would be removed by agreement or by force.