Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has ordered that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's position on one of Washington's central demands in peace talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Iran Refuses To Export Uranium Stockpile

"The Supreme Leader's directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country," one of the Iranian sources told Reuters on Thursday. The sources said Iran's top officials believe exporting the material would leave the country more vulnerable to future U.S. and Israeli attacks.

Khamenei has final authority over Iran's most important state matters. His directive could further frustrate President Donald Trump, who vowed on Thursday that the United States would not allow Iran to retain highly enriched uranium.

At the time of writing, WTI crude futures climbed 1.66% over the past 24 hours, trading near $97.92, while Brent crude futures climbed above $104 per barrel.

Trump Demands Removal Of Enriched Uranium

"We will get it. We don't need it, we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it," Trump told reporters at the White House. Israeli officials, meanwhile, told Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that any peace deal must require Iran's highly enriched uranium to be removed from the country.

Reacting to the news, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales, in a statement shared with the publication, said, "President Trump has been clear about the United States' red lines and will only make a deal that puts the American people first."

Peace Talks Remain Stuck Over Stockpile

Israel, the United States and other Western governments have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, citing its enrichment of uranium to 60%, far above civilian levels and closer to the roughly 90% needed for a bomb. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had accumulated 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% by the time of military attacks in mid-June 2025.

A shaky ceasefire remains in place after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 sparked Iranian attacks on Gulf states hosting U.S. bases and fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. But talks mediated by Pakistan remain stuck, with a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz complicating negotiations.

Trump said Wednesday the U.S. was ready to launch further attacks if Iran rejected a peace deal, though he suggested Washington could wait a few days to "get the right answers."