Iran may pause enrichment for US nod on nuclear rights

Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two Iranian official sources.

The sources, close to the negotiating team, said on Wednesday a "political understanding with the United States could be reached soon" if Washington accepted Tehran's conditions. One of the sources said the matter "has not been discussed yet" during the talks with the United States.

The sources told Reuters that under this arrangement, Tehran would halt uranium enrichment for a year, ship part of its highly enriched stock abroad or convert it into fuel plates for civilian nuclear purposes.

A temporary pause to enrichment would be a way to overcome an impasse over clashing red lines after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.

U.S. officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran - to replace a failed 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers - must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, saying it wants nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected Washington's demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national sovereignty.

In Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters the proposal aired by the Iranian sources had not been brought to the negotiating table to date. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this article.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied Reuters report and said "enrichment in Iran is a non-negotiable principle."

The Iranian sources said Tehran would not agree to dismantling of its nuclear programme or infrastructure or sealing of its nuclear installations as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.