Iranian sources: Tehran may pause enrichment for US nod on nuclear rights, release of frozen funds

Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the US releases frozen Iranian funds and recognizes Tehran’s right to refine uranium for civilian use under a “political deal” that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, two Iranian official sources say.

The sources, close to the negotiating team, say a “political understanding with the United States could be reached soon” if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions. One of the sources says the matter “has not been discussed yet” during the talks with the United States.

The sources tell Reuters that under this arrangement, Tehran would halt uranium enrichment for a year, ship part of its highly enriched stock abroad, or convert it into fuel plates for civilian nuclear purposes.

A temporary pause to enrichment would be a way to overcome an impasse over clashing red lines after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.

US officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran – to replace a failed 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers – must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, viewed as a pathway to developing nuclear bombs.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, claiming it wants nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected Washington’s demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national sovereignty.

Iran’s nuclear program currently enriches uranium up to 60% purity, which has no civilian purpose and is a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.