Iran Offers To Dilute Enriched Uranium If US Lifts All The Sanctions

Iran has just made a significant overture amid the US pressure campaign, and as the two sides are set for a next round of indirect negotiations in the coming days. “Iran could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for all financial sanctions being lifted, its atomic chief said on Monday, one of the most direct indications so far of its position at talks with Washington,” Reuters reports.

Tehran has rejected White House demands that the country’s ballistic missile arsenal also be subject of the talks, but this fresh Iranian offer to dilute its nuclear stockpile marks a significant turn, showing a willingness to entertain serious compromise on the nuclear front.

Reuters recounts, “Washington has demanded Iran relinquish its stockpile – estimated last year by the UN nuclear agency at more than 440 kg – of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, a small step away from the 90% that is considered weapons grade.”

But now the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, is strongly signaling Tehran is ready to play ball, even if it is on Washington’s terms – and after a history of the US side breaking its word (starting with the first Trump admin’s unilateral pullout from the JCPOA nuclear deal).

“The possibility of diluting 60% enriched uranium… depends on whether, in return, all sanctions are lifted or not,” Eslami made clear.

All of this stems from last month’s very bloody protests and riots inside Iran, largely the result of the stranglehold that US sanctions have on the population. The White House since then has threatened regime change and dialed up the sanctions. 

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the issue in Monday televised remarks. He urged citizens to participate in the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution this week, said they must show “resolve” against foreign powers plotting the demise of the Islamic Republic.

“The presence of the people in the march and their expression of loyalty to the Islamic Republic will cause the enemy to stop coveting Iran,” Khamenei said.

As for the ongoing negotiations base in Oman, which are at a very early and delicate stage, the geopolitical commentator Moon of Alabama has outlined some astute observations and expected outcomes as follows:

The likely outcome: Trump will have to lift some sanctions and, in exchange, will get some limited nuclear agreement with Iran. I assume that it will be softer on Iran than the JCPOA agreement which had been signed under Obama only to be trashed later by Trump.

The other demands on Iran which the Israelis had made through Trump: – no enrichment, a curb on the number and range of its ballistic missiles, an end of support for militia in the region – will not be part of the negotiations.

Those points are not of interest for Trump. He wants and needs an agreement – any agreement – that can be sold to the public has his personal success. The details will matter less to him than the fact that an agreement was made.

Israel will not like this. It wants Iran to be destroyed as a potential regional leader. Israel itself is too weak to defeat Iran. It may well try false flag strikes or terrorism to get the U.S. to finally do what it wants.

Monday’s overture by Iran reflects just the above scenario, but it’s unclear what the US reaction will be at this point. 

The US continues putting a huge amount of military assets in place in the Mideast region, and in Europe with an eye on supporting CENTCOM operations.

Despite this ominous build-up, Moon of Alabama concludes: “But the U.S. is no longer the all powerful force in the Arab region that it had been 30 years ago. It is lacking the means to defend its ships and bases against attacks by ballistic missiles and drones. This while Iran has systematically build up such  weapons and forces.”

This could mean the conditions for a last-ditch major deal to avert military conflict remain favorable. But Trump is also as unpredictable as ever, and there are still hardline pro-Zionist hawks speaking in his ear.