Iranian Foreign Ministry: Enriched Uranium Will Not Be Transferred Anywhere
Iran's Foreign Ministry refuted US President Trump's claim that Iran had agreed to transfer its enriched uranium, emphasizing that enriched uranium is sacred and will never be transferred. A spokesperson stated that negotiations focus on ending the war and compensation, not uranium transfer.
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- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 11:04
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Middle East War Key News
Central News Agency
(CNA, Tehran, April 17, International News) Iran's Foreign Ministry stated today that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile will not be transferred "anywhere," refuting claims made earlier by US President Trump that Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium.
According to a report by CBS News, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei issued a statement saying, "Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil, and under no circumstances will it be transferred anywhere." He further added, "Transferring uranium to the United States was never an option."
Trump stated earlier today on his social media platform "Truth Social," "America will receive all nuclear 'dust' produced by our great B-2 bombers." He was referring to enriched uranium buried in an airstrike last year.
However, Baqaei told state television in an interview, "The issue of transferring Iran's enriched uranium to the United States was never raised in the negotiations." He also said that recent talks focused on resolving the conflict, not on retrieving Iran's uranium.
He stated, "Previous negotiations focused on nuclear issues, but the current negotiations focus on ending the war, and the scope of discussion will naturally become broader and more diverse. The 10-point plan for lifting sanctions is very important to us. And the issue of compensation for losses incurred by Iran during the imposed war is particularly important."
According to Agence France-Presse, Baqaei also criticized Trump's post on "Truth Social" today. Trump stated that despite Tehran's announcement of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace agreement is reached with Tehran.
Baqaei said, "The opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz are not decided online but on the ground. Our armed forces certainly know how to respond to any move by the other side. Regarding their so-called naval blockade, Iran will inevitably respond accordingly. A naval blockade violates the ceasefire agreement, and Iran will definitely take necessary measures."
US news media Axios reported earlier that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a plan that includes Washington releasing $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Iran abandoning its enriched uranium stockpile.
Tehran still possesses a large amount of uranium enriched to 60%, a concentration close to the 90% level required for atomic bomb manufacturing, as well as a stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%, another significant threshold.
Before the US airstrike in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran possessed approximately 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 agreement, which the US later withdrew from.
Since June 2025, the whereabouts of this enriched uranium stockpile have remained unknown, and Tehran has refused IAEA inspectors access to sites destroyed by US and Israeli airstrikes. (Translator: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150418
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Central News Agency
(CNA, Tehran, April 17, International News) Iran's Foreign Ministry stated today that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile will not be transferred "anywhere," refuting claims made earlier by US President Trump that Iran had agreed to hand over its enriched uranium.
According to a report by CBS News, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei issued a statement saying, "Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil, and under no circumstances will it be transferred anywhere." He further added, "Transferring uranium to the United States was never an option."
Trump stated earlier today on his social media platform "Truth Social," "America will receive all nuclear 'dust' produced by our great B-2 bombers." He was referring to enriched uranium buried in an airstrike last year.
However, Baqaei told state television in an interview, "The issue of transferring Iran's enriched uranium to the United States was never raised in the negotiations." He also said that recent talks focused on resolving the conflict, not on retrieving Iran's uranium.
He stated, "Previous negotiations focused on nuclear issues, but the current negotiations focus on ending the war, and the scope of discussion will naturally become broader and more diverse. The 10-point plan for lifting sanctions is very important to us. And the issue of compensation for losses incurred by Iran during the imposed war is particularly important."
According to Agence France-Presse, Baqaei also criticized Trump's post on "Truth Social" today. Trump stated that despite Tehran's announcement of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace agreement is reached with Tehran.
Baqaei said, "The opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz are not decided online but on the ground. Our armed forces certainly know how to respond to any move by the other side. Regarding their so-called naval blockade, Iran will inevitably respond accordingly. A naval blockade violates the ceasefire agreement, and Iran will definitely take necessary measures."
US news media Axios reported earlier that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a plan that includes Washington releasing $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Iran abandoning its enriched uranium stockpile.
Tehran still possesses a large amount of uranium enriched to 60%, a concentration close to the 90% level required for atomic bomb manufacturing, as well as a stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%, another significant threshold.
Before the US airstrike in June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran possessed approximately 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 agreement, which the US later withdrew from.
Since June 2025, the whereabouts of this enriched uranium stockpile have remained unknown, and Tehran has refused IAEA inspectors access to sites destroyed by US and Israeli airstrikes. (Translator: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150418
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Content, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.