Removing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is difficult but not impossible, said IAEA director Rafael Grossi, stating that it can be done if negotiators ultimately decide that is the preferred solution.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Grossi said on Monday that transferring the Iranian stockpile abroad was one of the several options currently being considered amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.
“Such an operation is not easy,” Grossi said, noting that the uranium is stored in gaseous form, and as such handling it requires extensive safety measures due to the heavy risks involved.
“It is in gas form, highly contaminant, and it’s not an easy operation,” he said.
Alternative options, including “downblending” Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium into a less potent form, were also under discussion, he said.
Grossi said both ideas remained on the table as negotiators continue searching for a way forward amidst the diplomatic deadlock.
Iran’s nuclear programme has become one of the most sensitive issues in Washington’s talks with Tehran. While other issues including sanctions relief, maritime security and regional tensions, are also being discussed, the future of Iran’s uranium stockpile remains central to any broader agreement.
According to the UN nuclear watchdog’s estimates, Iran currently possesses roughly 970 pounds of uranium which is enriched to 60 per cent purity, with 90 pc constituting weapons grade.
While not yet ready for weaponisation, the enrichment level has nonetheless become a major cause of concern for Western governments, as 60 pc far exceeds levels required for civil uses such as energy, space and medical tech, which needs little more than 4 pc.
Grossi’s comments came just days after US President Donald Trump renewed his demand that Iran’s enriched uranium be either removed from the country or destroyed under international supervision.
Trump referred to the material as “nuclear dust” and argued that any lasting agreement must ensure it can no longer be used as the basis for a future weapons programme.
Though the IAEA is not directly playing any role in the negotiations, Grossi clarified that Vienna remains in constant contact with both sides and is helping explore practical solutions.
“All of these things are the things we have been discussing,” he said. “Our contribution to this is to make it possible, to make it viable.”
The issue has become more complicated since US and Israeli strikes targeted several Iranian nuclear facilities last year, with the IAEA previously reporting that a significant portion of the uranium supply is likely buried beneath the rubble of the three damaged facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
That has added another layer of uncertainty to negotiations, as inspectors and technical experts continue trying to determine the condition and accessibility of the material.
