After resuming nuclear talks with Washington, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Monday that Iran was ready to "dilute" its highly enriched uranium if the United States lifts "all sanctions."
Published on: 02/09/2026 - 3:00 p.m.
Is this a “deal” that Donald Trump could accept? Iran is willing to “dilute” its highly enriched uranium if the United States lifts “all sanctions,” Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Monday, February 9, after the resumption of nuclear talks with Washington.
“In response to a question on the possibility of diluting uranium enriched to 60% (...), Mohammad Eslami declared that this depended on the lifting of all sanctions in return,” reported the official Irna agency, without specifying whether it was about all the sanctions targeting his country or only those of the United States.
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Before the Israeli-American strikes on its nuclear sites in June 2025, Iran was enriching uranium to 60%, well beyond the 3.67% limit authorized by the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal concluded with the major powers. Diluting its uranium stock would allow it to lower this rate.
Western countries, led by the United States, and Israel, sworn enemy of the Islamic Republic and considered by experts as the only nuclear power in the Middle East, suspect Tehran of wanting to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran denies having such military ambitions.
400 kg of highly enriched uranium
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60%.
Enriched between 3 and 5%, this uranium is used to power nuclear power plants for the production of electricity.
Up to 20% of it is used to produce medical isotopes, used in particular in the diagnosis of certain cancers. To make a bomb, enrichment must be pushed up to 90%.
Great uncertainty surrounds the fate of Iran's reserves of more than 400 kg of highly enriched uranium, last seen on June 10 by IAEA inspectors.
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The stockpile, if not destroyed, theoretically allows it to make more than nine bombs if the rate is increased to 90%.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken out in favor of a total ban on enrichment for Iran, a condition unacceptable for Tehran and which would be much less favorable than the 2015 agreement.
Iran, which defends the right to civilian nuclear power, particularly for energy, considers this requirement contrary to the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of which it is a signatory.
With AFP
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