Iran’s atomic energy chief, Mohammad Eslami, stated on February 9th that Iran is prepared to dilute its enriched uranium if all sanctions are lifted, according to reports from Iranian state media.
Eslami’s comments came in response to questions regarding the potential dilution of uranium enriched to 60% purity. He indicated that such a step is contingent upon a reciprocal action – the complete removal of all sanctions imposed on Iran, as reported by the state-run news agency IRNA.
The offer comes as indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding a potential return to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled. According to a report from China’s Xinhua News Agency, Eslami previously stated in October that Iran had requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemn a U.S. Attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June of the same year and to issue a statement guaranteeing the security of Iran’s sensitive nuclear data. He claimed the IAEA had not followed through on these requests.
Inspectors from the IAEA have already examined Iranian nuclear facilities that were not targeted in the June attack, and are scheduled to inspect additional sites in the coming days, Eslami said. This inspection follows a request from Iran for the IAEA to condemn the alleged U.S. Attack.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Bahktar News Agency reported Eslami as saying Iran is open to discussing lowering its uranium enrichment levels during negotiations with the United States. This willingness to consider lowering enrichment levels is explicitly tied to the removal of sanctions.
The possibility of renewed negotiations was also highlighted by Iranian Supreme Leader advisor Ali Shamkhani, who indicated that discussions are underway to determine the timing of the next round of talks with the U.S., according to reports from Xinhua. But, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has emphasized a lack of trust in the United States, attributing this to past actions by Washington, as reported by China’s CCTV.
