Iran Looks to Hand Over Enriched Uranium as Ceasefire Talks Advance and Strait of Hormuz Reopens

Iran has agreed in principle to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, several reports said. The step was central to efforts to end months of fighting involving Washington, Israel and Tehran. It also raised hopes of reopening the Strait of Hormuz for shipping. Easing wider regional tensions was another stated aim in the talks.

Negotiators were said to be shaping a draft framework that moved in stages. Reports described an early phase that formally ended the war. Another phase addressed the Strait of Hormuz crisis. A final phase created a 30-day period for wider talks. Those discussions would cover security issues and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Reuters said the draft included Iran pledging never to seek nuclear weapons. Tehran would also enter talks on suspending uranium enrichment. It would also remove its highly enriched uranium stockpile. Axios, cited by Reuters, said a 60-day ceasefire extension was under review. That extension was linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The same reports said Iran could sell oil again during the 60-day period. Those sales would be without current conflict-linked limits. Nuclear negotiations would run alongside the shipping steps. The 30-day window in the framework would then target a follow-up deal. That later deal would cover nuclear terms and other regional issues.

The New York Times reported Tehran accepted language promising to hand over its enriched uranium cache. United States officials believed the material could have supported several nuclear weapons. Two unnamed American officials said Iran accepted the surrender in principle. However, the disposal or transfer method was still undecided. Technical details were expected to be handled in later rounds.

The uranium stockpile size and condition had been a major hurdle in earlier ceasefire talks. United States President Donald Trump repeatedly called the material "nuclear dust,". Trump said preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon remained a key goal. American officials also warned strikes could resume. That warning applied if Iran refused compromise on uranium, even with other points settled.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that a "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding was forming. Trump said final details were still being settled. Trump also linked the talks to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Fars news agency rejected that description as "inconsistent with reality.". Public doubts also remained about United States intentions, despite the reported progress.

Reuters said Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir that the United States was "not an honest party". Qalibaf said Iran would not give up its "national rights.". Qalibaf warned if the United States "foolishly restarts the war," Iran would respond "more forceful and bitter". Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said "issues still need to be discussed through mediators."

Baghaei said Iran’s focus was stopping new United States attacks and lowering regional strains. Baghaei also referred to fighting in Lebanon as part of those strains. Negotiators were focusing on how any handover would work in practice. The draft framework still left key technical steps open. Both sides were also testing whether commitments would hold during later phases.

Stage	Reported focus	Timing noted
Phase 1	Formal end to the war	First step
Phase 2	Strait of Hormuz reopening and related measures	Includes a possible 60-day ceasefire extension
Phase 3	Broader nuclear and security negotiations	30-day negotiating window

The reports suggested the Iran enriched uranium deal depended on sequencing and verification. Iran’s stockpile handover remained the main unresolved technical issue. Trump’s public comments and Tehran’s denials showed trust gaps. Still, the draft plan outlined steps for a ceasefire, shipping access, and wider talks. For markets, the Strait of Hormuz timeline stayed a key variable.