Uranium enrichment takes centre stage in Iran-US nuclear talks

The United States and Iran began a fifth round of critical talks and negotiations in Rome on Friday, May 23, 2025, focusing on Tehran’s increasingly advanced nuclear program.

Central to the discussions is the contentious issue of uranium enrichment, which remains a major obstacle to reaching a new agreement.

The U.S. position, expressed by officials including then-President Donald Trump, is clear: Iran must halt all uranium enrichment to receive any relief from the severe economic sanctions imposed on the country.

In stark contrast, Iran maintains that the right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated this stance early Friday on the social media platform X, stating that if enrichment is off the table, “we do NOT have a deal.”

He emphasized that achieving a deal is straightforward and urged all sides to make a decision.

Representing the U.S. in the negotiations are Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director.

Oman, which has a history of mediating between Washington and Tehran, is once again playing a key role in the talks.

Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is reportedly serving as mediator.

The discussions are being held at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighborhood, which has hosted previous rounds of talks.

Several diplomatic convoys arrived there around 1 p.m., and Iranian media confirmed shortly thereafter that the negotiations had officially begun.

At the heart of the negotiations is the effort to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for easing some of the crippling U.S. sanctions.

These sanctions have severely impacted Iran’s economy and intensified long-standing tensions between the two nations.

Trump has repeatedly warned that if no deal is reached, military strikes against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure are a possibility.

On the other side, Iranian officials have suggested that without an agreement, they may pursue nuclear weapons, given their stockpile of uranium enriched to levels just below weapons-grade.

A recent report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency noted that while Iran is likely not currently producing nuclear weapons, it has taken steps that would allow it to do so relatively quickly.

The report concluded that Iran could now produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear device in under a week, although experts believe it would still take months to actually build a functioning bomb.

The issue of enrichment has increasingly become the key sticking point.

Initially, U.S. envoy Witkoff indicated that Iran might be allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67%, a level consistent with the 2015 nuclear deal.

However, the American position has since hardened to a complete ban on enrichment.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce expressed confidence in the negotiations, stating that both sides understand each other’s positions and continue to engage.

One compromise under discussion involves establishing a regional consortium, supported by the U.S. and other Middle Eastern countries, to supply Iran with low-enriched uranium for peaceful purposes.

This could eliminate the need for Iran to enrich uranium domestically.

Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency and several countries have offered to provide such material.

Nevertheless, Iran insists that enrichment must continue within its own borders.

A similar fuel-swap proposal failed in 2010, casting doubt on the feasibility of this approach.

Meanwhile, regional tensions further complicate the talks.

Israel has threatened to take unilateral action against Iran’s nuclear sites if it perceives a threat.

Iran, in response, has vowed to defend its facilities and warned that it would hold the U.S. responsible for any Israeli aggression.

On Thursday, Iranian students formed a human chain around the Fordo enrichment site, a heavily fortified underground facility, underscoring Tehran’s resolve to protect its nuclear program.

Despite its defiant rhetoric, Iran is under mounting domestic pressure.

Protests continue over the mandatory hijab law, and speculation about a potential hike in subsidized gasoline prices has fueled further unrest.

Economically, Iran’s currency, the rial, had fallen to more than 1 million per U.S. dollar in April but has slightly recovered amid the negotiations.

Iranian officials hope this trend will continue, as a renewed collapse of the rial could trigger broader economic instability.

Iran’s regional influence is also waning.

The so-called “Axis of Resistance” has weakened significantly, with Iranian-backed groups suffering repeated Israeli strikes amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government during a rebel advance in December also removed a crucial ally.

In addition, the Trump administration continues to ramp up pressure through new sanctions.

This week, the U.S. targeted sales of sodium perchlorate to Iran, a chemical reportedly shipped from China to the Shahid Rajaei port.

That location was the site of a mysterious explosion in April that killed dozens and injured over 1,000 people, coinciding with an earlier round of talks.

As negotiations continue, both sides face internal and external pressures.

A breakthrough remains possible, but only if a compromise can be found on the central issue of uranium enrichment.

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