Iran determined to keep uranium amid increased war odds, flurry of meetings

Tehran has held firm that its nuclear program will not be dismantled without significant concessions from the United States, despite a recent surge in diplomatic activity and military preparations.

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A flurry of diplomatic activity has swept the Middle East recently, with hopes for a breakthrough to end the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran. Pakistani army chief Asim Munir visited Tehran on Wednesday to discuss the war and recent tensions in Yemen, arriving just as Tehran maintained its unyielding stance that the war would not conclude until the US accepted Iranian conditions. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated late Tuesday that no single gram of enriched uranium would be removed from Iran, though he did not rule out downblending highly enriched uranium under international supervision.

The contentious nuclear program remains a central factor in the Trump administration's decision to launch military operations on February 28. Before attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated Tehran possessed 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent. Subsequent strikes in 2026 severely damaged infrastructure, and with IAEA access denied since the war began, the current size, condition, and location of much of the stockpile remain unverified. Iranian authorities describe their program as a sovereign right and national wealth, arguing that surrendering it under military pressure amounts to capitulation unless it guarantees protection from further attacks.

While US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded the dismantling of the nuclear program, Vice President JD Vance suggested earlier this month that a meaningful reduction in enrichment capacity might satisfy US demands. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioned at a conference on Wednesday that the country remains in war conditions and is far from peace. Parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Munir that Tehran had nothing new to tell Washington, expecting realizations of conditions offered in New York last month to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.

Mediators reportedly offered proposals including returning to the June memorandum of understanding, recognizing an Iran-Oman deal for Strait transit, removing the US naval blockade on southern ports, waiving oil sanctions, unfreezing assets, and halting military action in Lebanon. However, senior policy analyst Ellie Geranmayeh noted that Tehran would not give up enriched uranium without clear implementation protocols for sanctions relief. Meanwhile, US media reported the Pentagon is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to the region, presenting President Trump with potential strike options ahead of the November 3 midterms, including plans to hit Pickaxe Mountain or seize southern islands.