Iran’s Rezaei says enriched uranium won’t leave country

Iran will not let "even a single particle" of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said in remarks to Lebanon's pro-Iranian Al Mayadeen TV aired on Wednesday, November 11. He also warned that any new US strikes would be answered by "targeting US bases far away". The position adds another obstacle to efforts to end a war that is now in its ninth month. Washington has insisted that nuclear issues be part of any first round of negotiations.reuters.com+1

Russia told no

Rezaei said Tehran had told Moscow of its decision. Russia has repeatedly offered to take in Iran's stockpile. "We told our Russian friends that the enriched materials will remain in Iran, and we will use them ourselves," Rezaei was quoted as saying, according to Russian state media cited by Kyiv Post. He said Iran needs the material to design and build nuclear-powered ships and submarines. Officials have not released any details of such a program.iranwire.com+1

The remarks repeat Tehran's rejection of a US proposal to send its 60% enriched uranium to a third country. Iran has not ruled out diluting the uranium to a lower level under international supervision. Rezaei met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on November 5. Two senior Iranian sources said in May that the Supreme Leader had ordered that the near-weapons-grade uranium not be sent abroad.rferl.org+2

Stockpile and stalled diplomacy

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimated that Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% when the US and Israel struck its nuclear sites in June 2025. It is unclear how much of that survived. Nuclear sites were hit again after the current war began on February 28.reuters.com+1

Rezaei said Tehran and Washington are not negotiating. He called reports of a recent meeting in Qatar "pure lies" aimed at pushing down oil prices. A senior Iranian official told Reuters last week that Iran had sent a nuclear proposal through Qatar. That proposal would be discussed only after the US meets seven Iranian demands. Those demands include unfreezing Iranian assets and lifting sanctions in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.rferl.org+2

Washington's softer tone

The comments came as US officials played down the need for more military action. Analysts point to President Donald Trump's more conciliatory tone since Republicans lost the November 3 midterm elections. On November 9, Trump said the war was "effectively over" militarily. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the economic campaign is "so devastating that right now there is no need for major combat operations".rferl.org+1

Israel has taken a harder line. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran.timesofisrael.com