Iran rejects US demand to hand over all enriched nuclear material

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday condemned what he called “unacceptable” US demands for Tehran to hand over its enriched uranium, as the threat of sweeping UN sanctions grows following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.

Earlier this month, the UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent had reached approximately 440.9kg as of June 13, up by 32.3kg since May 17. While Iran allowed inspectors back into its nuclear sites, Western powers said they saw insufficient progress to justify delaying sanctions after high-level diplomacy at the UN General Assembly.

European nations triggered the “snapback” sanctions mechanism last month, accusing Tehran of failing to meet its obligations regarding its nuclear program, including measures Iran took in response to Israeli and US strikes in June.

Speaking to reporters in New York before returning to Tehran, Pezeshkian said the United States demanded that Iran hand over all of its enriched uranium in exchange for a temporary three-month reprieve from sanctions.

The president said, “The United States wants us to hand over all our enriched uranium to them, and in return they would give us three months’ exemption from sanctions. This is by no means acceptable.”

He added that France had made a similar offer, proposing only a one-month delay. “Why would we put ourselves in such a trap and have a noose around our neck each month?” Pezeshkian asked, accusing the US of pressuring European nations not to compromise.

- Iran denies nuclear weapons ambitions -

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, asserting that Washington and 'Israel' are using the nuclear issue to pressure the Islamic Republic.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, involved in the talks, stated that Washington did not seek to harm Iran and remained open to further discussions. However, Pezeshkian dismissed these claims, accusing the envoy of backtracking on earlier understandings after 'Israel' launched a military campaign targeting Iranian interests in June.

Meanwhile, Iran recalled its ambassadors from Britain, France, and Germany for consultations after the three countries activated the sanctions mechanism, according to state television.