Iran may accept a nuclear agreement that allows it to continue enriching uranium, albeit within the confines of an additional consortium that includes the U.S. and Gulf countries, an insider with knowledge of the talks told Axios on Wednesday.
The Islamic Republic has long stressed that a deal requiring the country to halt enriching uranium would not be acceptable, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressing that Iran views the matter as its “right” and a “non-negotiable” issue.
But a deal in which Iran enriches uranium under the auspices of a regional consortium based in the country would likely be acceptable, a senior Iranian official told Axios
“If the consortium operates within the territory of Iran, it may warrant consideration. However, should it be based outside the borders of the country, it is certainly doomed to fail,” the official said.
According to the Axios report, the nuclear deal proposal recently submitted to Iran includes the possibility of Iran becoming part of a uranium enrichment consortium.
The consortium would provide nuclear fuel to countries seeking to develop civilian nuclear programs, under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, Axios reported.
However, the proposal, spearheaded by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, did not specify where the consortium would be physically located.
The prospect of allowing Iran to continue to enrich uranium comes after President Donald Trump vehemently denied that such a possibility would be permitted.
“Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
Last week, Trump expressed optimism about a potential agreement that would curb Iran’s nuclear program.
“We’ve had some very, very good talks with Iran,” Trump told reporters. “And I don’t know if I’ll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good.”
