Iran will not let any enriched nuclear material leave the country, warned Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief. He appeared on TV to make this announcement. Rezaei also said that if the United States attacks Iran again, there will be serious consequences. This came after U.S. officials suggested they might not need to take military action against Iran anymore. Since losing the midterm elections, President Trump has seemed more willing to avoid conflict.
Rezaei added that Iran is currently not talking to the U.S. about nuclear issues. He said that any new U.S. attacks would be met with strikes on American bases far from Iran.
Earlier this year, two Iranian officials revealed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ordered enriched uranium—nearly weapons-grade—to stay in Iran. Rezaei explained that Iran needs this material to build ships and submarines powered by nuclear energy. He also said Tehran has told Moscow that the enriched material will remain in Iran for now.
Russia had offered to remove some uranium from Iran as part of a deal, but Russia left the decision up to Iran. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had 440.9 kg of 60% enriched uranium before a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. It’s unclear how much of this material still exists.
Iran has long denied accusations from Israel and the U.S. that it is trying to build nuclear weapons. The U.S. says nuclear issues must be part of any talks with Iran to end their conflict. Iran has sent a nuclear proposal to the U.S. through Qatar, but only if Washington first meets seven demands Tehran has listed.