Iran Refuses to Hand Over Enriched Uranium During Asim Munir Meeting

October 21, 2026

Iran has refused to move its stockpile of enriched uranium out of the country, signalling a major obstacle to efforts to reach an agreement with the United States. Tehran has also maintained that negotiations with Washington cannot resume until its demands are addressed.

The position was reiterated by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, during a meeting with Pakistan’s Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Tuesday. Rezaei said Iran considered its enriched uranium a national asset and intended to retain it for domestic use.

“Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran. Such materials constitute a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people, intended for use within the country,” Rezaei said, according to The Times of Israel.

He also called on the United States to take steps to rebuild trust before any negotiations could take place.

“There will be no negotiations until America takes steps to build trust — a process that must begin with the fulfillment of Iran’s conditions,” Rezaei said.

Iran’s Uranium Stance Poses Challenge to Peace Efforts

The meeting comes as Pakistan continues its efforts to facilitate negotiations between Iran and the United States. Islamabad has been involved in diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions, but a breakthrough has yet to be announced.

Munir’s visit to Iran on Tuesday was another attempt to advance those efforts. However, Rezaei’s remarks indicated that Tehran was not prepared to compromise on the location of its enriched uranium stockpile or begin talks without progress on its demands.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. The dispute over enriched uranium remains a key issue in the wider confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

Iran maintains that its nuclear material is a national asset, while the United States has pressed for restrictions to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. The latest statement from Rezaei suggests that the two sides continue to face differences over the terms of a possible agreement.

Trump Says Iran Conflict Could End Soon

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to signal that the conflict with Iran could end soon. The confrontation began on February 28, and the US President has faced pressure over the war and its economic consequences.

Last week, Trump said the conflict was nearing its final stages and predicted a quick end. Speaking in Kentucky on Saturday, he also linked the prospect of an end to the fighting with lower fuel prices.

“It’s going to end very quickly. When it ends, your gas prices are going to be lower than what they were before,” Trump said.

He also claimed that US military action had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“When I did that excursion, we knocked out their nuclear capacity,” Trump said, referring to the US action against Iran.

However, Iran’s latest position on enriched uranium highlights the continuing disagreement between the two countries over the conditions for a settlement. Tehran’s refusal to transfer its nuclear material and its demand for steps to rebuild trust remain central issues in the diplomatic process.

Whether Pakistan’s mediation can help bridge these differences remains to be seen. No agreement on the transfer of enriched uranium or the resumption of US-Iran negotiations was announced in the supplied report.