A source assessing the negotiations argues that Supreme Leader Khamenei and the ultra-hawkish circle around him are unlikely to sign a deal that cedes 460 kg of 60% enriched uranium to the US. According to the analysis, the IRGC top brass views the enriched material, buried in mountainous sites after heavy bombing, as their regime's insurance policy.
An assessment of the US-Iran nuclear talks, reported at 17:53 Jerusalem, argues that Iran's leadership remains deeply reluctant to transfer its most sensitive nuclear assets. The analysis posits that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his tight circle of hardline IRGC commanders would balk at relinquishing 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — material that Western officials assess could be further enriched to weapons grade within days.
The source frames the stockpile as the regime's ultimate bargaining chip and insurance policy, noting that the enriched material was relocated to mountainous, fortified sites after US and Israeli strikes in June 2025. As The Zioneer previously reported (Bloomberg, June 3), the risk that Iran could covertly advance toward a nuclear weapon is now assessed by Western officials to be higher than before those strikes.
The assessment appears to align with skepticism voiced by Israeli analysts, including an Israel Hayom columnist who branded the emerging framework deal as "lopsided and hollow" (The Zioneer, June 11), and i24NEWS diplomatic correspondent Amichai Stein, who noted that the framework does not include removal of enriched uranium, dismantlement of facilities, missile limits, or cessation of terror activity (The Zioneer, June 11).
2 developments
- DevelopingWhite House senior official estimates 85% chance of Iran deal, outlines terms
- DevelopingIsrael concerned Trump may settle for diluted uranium, not removal
- StrongTrump: Deal reached on enriched uranium — 'buried under a mountain, no one goes near it'
- ConfirmedSenior US official: Deal expected within days, US to receive all enriched uranium
Source and signal
- Internal intake