Iran Agreed Not To Stockpile Enriched Uranium, Oman Mediator Says

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Iran agreed in talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, mediator Oman's top diplomat said Friday, in what he called a breakthrough that he hoped would prevent war.

Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country brokered talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved "amicably and comprehensively" within three months.

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"If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations by agreeing to a very important breakthrough that has never been achieved any time before," Albusaidi told the CBS News programme "Face the Nation".

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"I think if we can capture that and build on it, I think a deal is within our reach," he said.

The minister added that Iran would not be able to stockpile enriched uranium and that there would be verification.

He said Iran would also degrade its current stockpiles to "the lowest level possible" so that they are "converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible."

"This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less relevant, because now we are talking about zero stockpiling," said Albusaidi, who met earlier Friday with US Vice President JD Vance.

President Donald Trump's administration accuses Tehran of intending to build a nuclear weapon. But "if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb," Albusaidi told CBS.

In a 2015 agreement negotiated by former president Barack Obama, Iran agreed to keep enrichment only to a low level that is well below weapons grade.

Trump ripped up the deal in his first term and imposed sanctions, and in recent weeks has deployed the US military in the region to levels not seen in years.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that any deal cover not just the nuclear programme but also Iran's missiles.

Asked about the missile issue, Albusaidi said, "I believe Iran is open to discussing everything."

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