Iran Rebuffs U.S. Enriched Uranium Transfer Demand

(MENAFN) Iran flatly rejected any transfer of its enriched uranium to a foreign nation Friday, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry explicitly stating that relinquishing stockpiles to the United States had never been on the table — as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and the fragile April ceasefire continued to simmer.

Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, appearing on a state broadcaster, moved swiftly to contain what he characterized as a misreading of recent diplomatic signals. He insisted that remarks by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi were strictly bounded by the ceasefire framework struck between Tehran and Washington on April 8 — and carried no implication of a broader diplomatic thaw.

Earlier Friday, Araghchi had declared the Strait of Hormuz "completely open" to commercial shipping for the duration of the current truce — a statement Baghaei clarified was rooted in Tehran's decision to extend safe-passage provisions from its Lebanon ceasefire agreement to vessels transiting the waterway, not in any newly negotiated arrangement.

"We have reached no new agreement," he said. "The ceasefire agreement is the one announced on April 8."

Tehran Accuses Washington of Bad Faith
Baghaei sharpened his tone as he leveled accusations that Washington had violated the terms of the April 8 truce from its very inception — specifically by refusing to extend its provisions to Lebanon, a condition Iran maintains was explicitly embedded in the agreement. Both Washington and Jerusalem have rejected that characterization outright.

The spokesman further cautioned that Tehran would deploy "countermeasures" should a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continue — underscoring the precariousness of a shipping corridor through which a significant share of the world's oil supply flows.

A Strait Under Siege
The standoff over the Hormuz passage traces back to February 28, when Iran barred safe transit to vessels linked to Israel or the United States following coordinated strikes on Iranian soil. Washington retaliated with its own blockade, severing passage for ships bound to or from Iranian ports after weekend peace negotiations in Islamabad broke down. Baghaei confirmed Friday that no discussions on extending the ceasefire had yet taken place, and that Pakistan's ongoing mediation efforts remained concentrated on halting the conflict and safeguarding Iranian interests.

Second Round of Talks Expected This Weekend
Despite the bellicose posturing, media reported Friday — citing individuals with direct knowledge of the negotiations — that a second round of U.S.-Iran talks is anticipated to take place in Pakistan as soon as this Sunday, suggesting back-channel diplomacy continues even as public rhetoric hardens on both sides.

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