Iran won't give up enriching uranium to get peace deal, official says

A senior Iranian official told USA TODAY that there is no scenario under a theoretical deal with the United States aimed at ending the war where Tehran would agree to entirely give up enriching uranium for its nuclear program.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to sensitive ongoing attempts to get both sides to return to peace talks in Pakistan. President Donald Trump said April 14 that the U.S.-Iran peace talks may resume “over the next two days” in Islamabad.

Iran has not publicly confirmed that timescale. Officials in Iran and Pakistan did not return a request for comment on the possibility of new talks in Islamabad.

Trump's negotiating team has made the United States' red lines very clear and "will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales.

“The Iranians’ desperation for a deal is only increasing with President Trump’s highly effective naval blockade in effect," said Wales. "The President is rightfully securing the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation for all ships traveling to non-Iranian ports, ending the Iranian extortion of the world."

Whether Iran will agree to not enrich uranium - and for how long - and to give up its existing stockpile in its nuclear program is one of the obstacles to the United States and Iran reaching a deal aimed at ending the war, the Iranian official said.

Iran has long viewed its nuclear program as a redline in negotiations with the West. Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, in 2015. The nuclear deal was negotiated by the Obama administration and was signed by the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.

The landmark agreement aimed to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for significant sanctions relief, with the goal of increasing "breakout time" — the time needed to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon — from 2-3 months to at least 12 months. The deal also granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to sites to monitor compliance and Iran agreed to reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%.

The agreement required Iran to keep its uranium enrichment levels at 3.67%, significantly below the 90% enrichment level needed to create a bomb.

The 2015  Iran nuclear deal also included "sunset clauses," key expiration dates for key restrictions set on various aspects of the deal such as lifting limits on centrifuges after 10 years or reduced enrichment beyond 3.67% only lasting for 15 years.Critics feared the deal would only temporarily delay Iran’s nuclear program.

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump withdrew from the JCPOA agreement. The United States began reimposing "maximum pressure" sanctions, targeting Iran's critical energy, petrochemical and financial sectors.

After the U.S. withdrawal from JCPOA, Iran began expanding its nuclear activities in 2019, increasing uranium enrichment levels to 60%, using advanced centrifuges and reducing IAEA monitoring, bringing the regime closer to weapons-grade capability, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Strait of Hormuz emerges as leverage for Iran

Amid the joint war launched by the United States and Israel more than six weeks ago, the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas is transported, emerged as Iran's most effective leverage as it closed off the crucial maritime chokepoint to adversaries.

While the waterway reopened briefly following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire on April 7,  Iran closed the strait the following day, saying the terms of the ceasefire had been violated after Israel launched strikes on Lebanon.

The U.S. military blockade went into effect at 10 a.m. on April 13 and encompasses all Iranian ports and coastal areas. The Trump administration says neutral vessels that don't stop at Iranian ports are able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. 

A White House official told USA TODAY that the U.S. redlines include an end to all uranium enrichment; dismantling of all major nuclear enrichment facilities; retrieval of highly enriched uranium; acceptance of a broader peace, security and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies; ending funding for terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis; and fully opening the Strait of Hormuz, charging no tolls for passage.

Contributing: Zac Anderson