President Donald Trump declared Monday night that any forthcoming nuclear agreement with Iran would unequivocally bar all uranium enrichment, directly refuting earlier reports suggesting his administration was open to allowing limited civilian-grade enrichment.
In a Truth Social post, Trump stated, “Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” He added, “The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago from ‘enriching.'”
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This assertion sharply contradicts reporting from Axios, which, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the deal, indicated that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had offered Iranian officials a proposal Saturday that included provisions for restricting uranium enrichment to civilian-grade levels at strictly above-ground sites, subject to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight.
Iran has consistently maintained that any deal addressing its nuclear program must include provisions for enriching uranium to at least 3%. Prior to the Axios report, Trump administration officials had consistently asserted that a complete ban on enrichment would be a prerequisite for any agreement with Tehran.
The discrepancy in statements comes as the IAEA reported Saturday that Iran’s stockpile of 60% purity uranium, which is close to the 90% needed for weapons, had grown to 408.6 kg. The IAEA also stated in February that Iran could produce nuclear weapons in approximately three weeks with its current stockpiles of weapons-ready uranium.
The Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) also aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions by permitting only civilian enrichment under IAEA supervision. However, that deal faced significant criticism from conservatives for its perceived leniency and built-in sunset provisions.
Some critics have drawn parallels between the JCPOA’s allowance for civilian enrichment and the proposals reportedly being considered by some within the Trump administration, raising questions about the ultimate shape and stringency of any new agreement.
The situation remains fluid, with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, reportedly stating on Monday that Tehran would reject any deal that didn’t recognize its right to enrich uranium and that the country would respond to the U.S. proposal soon.
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