US officials reported on May 24, 2026, that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has agreed "in principle" to give up his country's highly enriched uranium as part of ongoing nuclear negotiations. The agreement comes as President Donald Trump stated the US blockade of Iran's ports will remain "in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed." Trump announced the previous day that a deal between the US and Iran was "largely negotiated," and the uranium disposal accord would represent a major objective of Operation Fury, which launched earlier in 2026.
According to a senior Trump administration official cited by the New York Post, the agreement framework involves Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade, with both parties agreeing in principle to dispose of Iran's highly enriched uranium. However, the official noted a critical gap: "We feel quite confident that the supreme leader has signed off on the broad template. No one disputes that the stockpiled enriched material will be disposed of. It's a question about how."
Agreement Details
The Trump administration official stated: "They will open up the strait in exchange for us lifting the blockade, and they will agree in principle to dispose of the highly enriched uranium, but then there's a question about how precisely to do that."
Trump has previously suggested destroying the roughly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium that Iran possesses. He also mentioned the possibility that the Chinese government may assist Iran in removing and transporting the buried nuclear material out of the country.
Implementation Questions
The senior US official explained the concurrent nature of implementation: "And then simultaneously, while we're figuring out that question of how, we're going to have this thing where the straits open, the blockade is lifted and we get the economy some breathing room."
Trump stated on May 24 that while US-Iran relations are becoming "much more professional," Tehran "must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb."
Iranian Position
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told reporters that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons. He stated: "We are ready to assure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons. We are not seeking instability in the region." Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran's "negotiating team will not compromise when it counts to our country's dignity and sovereignty."
