Report: Iran Agrees to Give up Enriched Uranium in ‘Largely Negotiated’ Trump‑Announced Deal

Iran has reportedly agreed in principle to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of the emerging U.S.-brokered agreement President Donald Trump said Saturday, confirming the now “largely negotiated” agreement could be announced as early as Sunday.

In a report published late Saturday evening, the New York Times cited two U.S. officials as saying Tehran committed in broad terms to surrendering the near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile — one of the central demands of the Trump administration’s campaign against the Iranian regime and a potentially significant breakthrough after Iranian officials had consistently sought to separate the uranium issue from the initial ceasefire framework and defer it to later negotiations.

The officials said the precise mechanism for removing, neutralizing, or transferring the material would instead be worked out during follow-up nuclear negotiations expected to take place during a proposed 30-to-60-day framework tied to the broader agreement.

The reported concession marked a potentially significant reversal for the Iranian regime after Reuters reported Thursday that Iranian sources said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had directed the country’s highly enriched uranium stockpile should not leave Iran, hardening Tehran’s public posture on one of Washington’s key demands.

The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted Iran must ultimately relinquish both its enrichment capability and existing stockpile before any permanent agreement could be reached.

According to the New York Times, Iran initially balked at including the uranium issue in the first phase of the agreement, insisting it should be deferred until later negotiations. But U.S. negotiators reportedly warned Tehran through intermediaries that Washington would walk away from the talks and resume the military campaign unless some commitment regarding the uranium stockpile was included upfront.

The outlet further reported U.S. military planners had recently developed options for renewed strikes targeting Iran’s uranium stockpile, much of which is believed to be stored at the Isfahan nuclear facility. Among the options reportedly discussed were bunker-buster strikes designed to destroy the underground stockpile, while Trump at one point considered authorizing a joint U.S.-Israeli commando raid to retrieve the material after portions of the stockpile became accessible following prior strikes.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran possesses roughly 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade enrichment.

Trump said Saturday evening that an agreement between the United States, Iran, and several regional countries had been “largely negotiated,” adding that “final aspects and details” were still being discussed and would be announced shortly.

“In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after separate calls with Gulf and regional leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The president’s announcement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier Saturday signaled progress in the negotiations, saying there was “a chance” the administration could have “something to say” soon regarding the talks.

Multiple reports throughout Saturday indicated the emerging framework would likely involve a temporary 30-to-60-day memorandum of understanding aimed at formally ending the conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing aspects of the U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping, and creating a negotiation window for broader talks over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Axios reported late Saturday that the draft framework under discussion includes Iranian commitments to never pursue nuclear weapons, negotiate limitations on uranium enrichment, and discuss the removal of its highly enriched uranium stockpile during the temporary agreement period.

According to the outlet, the proposed agreement would also allow limited sanctions waivers allowing Tehran to resume oil exports while tying broader sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian assets to future verified nuclear concessions.

Axios further reported Trump spent much of Saturday consulting with regional leaders — including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir — many of whom reportedly urged the president to move forward with the deal.

Pakistan has emerged as a central mediator in the negotiations, with Munir holding multiple rounds of talks in Tehran over the weekend.

The emerging agreement has already sparked skepticism among several Republican national security conservatives, particularly regarding reports that key nuclear questions, ballistic missile issues, and Iran’s support for terrorist proxies could be deferred to later negotiations.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) warned Saturday that any agreement allowing Iran to retain regional leverage or maintain long-term influence over the Strait of Hormuz would become “a nightmare for Israel,” while Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) cautioned against a “rumored 60-day ceasefire” that could allow Tehran to regroup.

Other Republicans, however, rallied behind Trump’s diplomatic push.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump was “the ONLY one” capable of bringing Iran “to the negotiating table,” while Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said the negotiations reflected “very important progress” toward Trump’s stated goal of lasting regional peace.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) similarly argued the negotiations were only possible because Trump had “decisively used U.S. military might to significantly degrade Iran’s nuclear, missile, naval, and air force capabilities.”

Iran has yet to publicly confirm any agreement to surrender its highly enriched uranium stockpile.

Iranian state outlets, meanwhile, pushed back on aspects of Trump’s characterization of the emerging agreement, particularly regarding the future status of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency insisted the waterway would remain under Iranian management and dismissed portions of Trump’s announcement as “inconsistent with reality.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reiterated Saturday that Tehran would continue supporting Hezbollah and insisted Lebanon must be included in any broader ceasefire framework — a condition likely to intensify Israeli concerns over the emerging agreement.

Still, multiple U.S., regional, Israeli, and Iranian reports throughout Saturday evening indicated negotiators believe a framework agreement could potentially be finalized and announced as early as Sunday, though officials on all sides cautioned the talks remain fluid and could still collapse before a final deal is reached.