Iran Vows No Uranium Will Leave as US Carrier Heads to Region — SkimNews
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- Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said late Tuesday after meeting Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir that 'not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran,' though he did not rule out downblending the material inside the country under monitor supervision — a concession Iran has previously offered.
- Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Munir that Tehran had 'nothing new' for Washington and expected acceptance of conditions offered in New York last month to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
- Iran's conditions detailed in the article include returning to the June memorandum of understanding, recognizing an Iran-Oman deal on Strait of Hormuz transit, lifting the US naval blockade on southern Iranian ports, oil sanctions waivers, unfreezing Iranian assets, halting US military action in Lebanon and other regional hotspots, and beginning talks on a broader nuclear deal.
- The IAEA estimated before the June 2025 Israeli and US strikes that Iran possessed 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%; further US-Israeli strikes in 2026 damaged nuclear infrastructure and the agency has been refused access since the war began, leaving the current stockpile unverified.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned at an Iranian exporters' conference Wednesday that 'the country is truly in war conditions and the war continues,' cautioning Iran faces threats of more attacks and expansive economic sanctions.
- The Pentagon is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and a Marine unit to the Middle East, US media cited unnamed officials as saying Tuesday, presenting President Donald Trump with strike options after the November 3 midterm elections.
- Iran's state-run Press TV cited an unnamed security official Wednesday saying Tehran's decision-makers have chosen to advance 'without any limitations or restraint' if there are further US or Israeli attacks or assassinations.
Why it matters: Iran's hardline 'no uranium out' stance — paired with its offer to downblend inside the country — leaves a narrow diplomatic lane, while its seven-day ultimatum forces Washington to either accept Iran's framework or face renewed conflict with a carrier strike group already en route. The post-midterms timing of the USS Theodore Roosevelt deployment and Iran's 'no limitations' warning raise the stakes for a wider regional escalation as Israel and the US weigh strikes on sites like Pickaxe Mountain.
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