A direct order from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, has effectively dashed any remaining hopes for a quick nuclear compromise in the ongoing peace talks with the United States. According to a report by Reuters citing two senior Iranian sources on Thursday, Khamenei has issued a clear and binding directive that the nation’s stockpile of near weapons grade uranium must remain inside the country.
This decision, described as a definitive “red line” by insiders, directly confronts one of Washington’s central demands for ending the war, that Tehran ship out the bulk of its 60 percent enriched material to permanently reduce its proliferation risk. The order reflects a hardening of Iran’s position as the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan enters its sixth week, and it highlights the deepening chasm between the two sides even as the threat of renewed large‑scale strikes hangs over the region.
The two Iranian sources explained that top officials believe that sending the material abroad would leave the country more vulnerable to future attacks by the United States and Israel. In the view of Tehran’s leadership, a state that hands over its most sensitive strategic asset to an adversary that has already launched devastating air campaigns against it would be inviting further aggression. Moreover, the sources revealed a deep and pervasive suspicion within the Iranian establishment that the current pause in hostilities is nothing more than a “tactical deception by Washington”.
Officials fear that the United States is using the ceasefire to lull Iran into a false sense of security while it prepares to renew airstrikes, a suspicion reinforced by President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of a “large‑scale assault” if his terms are not met.
The Supreme Leader’s directive also places the United States in a difficult position regarding its key regional ally. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly declared that the war is “not over” until Iran’s enriched uranium is “taken out” of the country. However, the new Iranian directive makes this core Israeli demand effectively impossible to fulfill. If Washington were to abandon the uranium removal requirement to salvage a deal, it would risk a major rupture with Jerusalem.
Conversely, if it insists on the removal, it faces a dead end. As one source noted, the Trump administration has already failed to secure a similar concession in the past, and Tehran’s position has only grown more uncompromising since the war began.
The order also serves as a reminder of the durability of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure despite repeated attacks. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent prior to the US‑Israeli strikes in June 2025, and that a significant portion, well over 200 kilograms, remains stored in a tunnel complex at its Isfahan facility.
Iran’s capability to rebuild and safeguard its program after devastating air campaigns has been a persistent reality throughout the conflict.
Despite the hardline posture, there are indications of potential compromise. Iranian officials have previously signaled openness to diluting the 60 percent stockpile under the supervision of the IAEA, a “feasible formula” that would reduce the proliferation risk without requiring the material to leave the country. Such a solution could bridge the gap between Washington’s demand for the material’s removal and Tehran’s insistence on retaining control over its assets.
However, this would require a broader political agreement, including the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and credible guarantees against future attacks. As long as the United States refuses to offer such a comprehensive package, the uranium impasse will continue to block a final peace deal.