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Iran rejects US interim nuclear proposal, holds fast to enrichment demand

Efforts to prevent Iran’s nuclear advance through a stopgap pact have faltered over sanctions relief with enrichment controls unresolved.

This picture shows a replica of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant at an exhibition at the International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology in Isfahan in on May 6, 2024. UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi arrived on May 6 in Iran, where he is expected to speak at the conference and meet officials for talks on Tehran's nuclear program.
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Photo: Iranian Leader Press Office via Getty

Overview

  • The US offered a temporary arrangement on June 1 that would let Iran enrich uranium at around 3 percent while a regional consortium builds new fuel facilities.
  • Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly condemned any halt to enrichment and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed it as Tehran’s “red line.”
  • Under the plan, the IAEA would monitor a consortium including the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE that would supply fuel and eventually oversee enrichment activities.
  • Washington and Tehran remain divided on whether fuel production should take place outside Iran or on Gulf islands such as Kish or Qeshm.
  • Iran is expected to deliver a formal counterproposal in the coming days as indirect talks, mediated by Oman, prepare for a potential sixth round.