Iran: We will not accept the removal of enriched uranium! A slap in the face to Trump, but we admit to having drafted a 60-day negotiation memorandum with the US.

In a media interview on April 17, U.S. time, Trump said that the U.S. would help "remove the enriched uranium buried deep under the ruins of Iran's nuclear facilities and bring it back to the United States." This statement was quickly refuted by Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated unequivocally that Iran has never included "transferring enriched uranium to the United States" as a negotiating option. He advised against US officials and media making any proposals regarding the Iranian nuclear issue and emphasized that US compensation for Iran's losses is a "crucial issue" in the entire negotiation process.

"Enriched uranium is as sacred as the land of Iran."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei's words directly defined Iran's bottom line regarding nuclear materials:

Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as the land of Iran, and will not be transferred to any place under any circumstances.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf added insult to injury in a social media post on the same day, stating that control of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and the US has accepted this fact; and that Trump's "extreme desire" to reach an agreement precisely demonstrates the failure of his plan to destroy Iran.

The 60-day MoU ultimately aims to reach a peace agreement.

Iranian officials revealed that the two sides are currently drafting a memorandum of understanding, setting a 60-day window for follow-up negotiations to advance a final, permanent peace agreement. Both sides indicated they plan to formally sign it during negotiations in Pakistan.

The previous round of talks in Islamabad (April 11-12) broke down, and the two sides did not sign any documents. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi later revealed that at the time, "we were just one step away from reaching an agreement, but the US side maximized its demands and moved the goal (changed the target)."

Iran says it will retaliate if the Holmz blockade escalates.

The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has not yet escalated to military action, but Iran "will never tolerate" any military action. Baga'e also warned that if the blockade continues, Iran will take "countermeasures."