US presses Iran on uranium stockpile, Tehran pushes back; CENTCOM flexes readiness

The United States and Iran are continuing indirect negotiations over a possible framework agreement even as President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Tehran, declaring Washington would eventually “get” Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The diplomatic engagement comes at a particularly fragile moment in West Asia, with mediation efforts continuing behind the scenes while military signalling in the Gulf region grows sharper. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme and the ongoing US naval posture in the region have added urgency to the talks.

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Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that the two sides are currently exchanging messages and draft proposals through indirect channels. An Iranian official cited by Al Jazeera claimed negotiators were “very close” to reaching an understanding, though the report cautioned that it remains too early to predict whether a final agreement is imminent.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is currently in Iran as part of the mediation efforts and is understood to be discussing developments linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump says Iran will not keep enriched uranium

Speaking at the White House, Trump made it clear that Washington would not permit Tehran to retain near-weapons-grade nuclear material.

“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.

Iran is believed to possess around 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which Western officials say could potentially be refined further for weapons purposes.

However, Reuters, citing Iranian sources, reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has directed that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile “should not leave the country”, rejecting one of Washington’s key demands in the negotiations.

US missile stockpile under pressure after Israel support

The talks are unfolding as concerns emerge within Washington over the strain on American missile defence resources following military support extended to Israel during its conflict with Iran.

According to The Washington Post, the United States used more than 200 THAAD interceptors and over 100 Standard Missile interceptors deployed from naval vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, consuming a significant portion of the Pentagon’s inventory.

The report, citing US officials speaking anonymously, said the scale of deployment has triggered concerns about America’s wider global readiness.

Israel, meanwhile, reportedly used fewer interceptor systems during the conflict compared to the US deployment.

CENTCOM projects military readiness in Gulf

Even as negotiations continue, the US military has maintained a visible operational posture in the region.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remains at “peak readiness” in the Arabian Sea.

In a post on X, CENTCOM shared images of fighter jets launching from the aircraft carrier and said the group was continuing to enforce the US blockade against Iranian ports.

The dispute has also expanded into tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised reports of a possible Iranian tolling mechanism for ships transiting the Strait, calling the idea “completely illegal” and warning that such a move would severely damage prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough.

Trump also rejected the proposal, saying the waterway must remain open for international navigation.

“We want it free; we don’t want tolls. It’s international; it’s an international waterway,” he said.

Despite the escalating rhetoric from both sides, American officials have maintained that diplomatic engagement with Tehran remains active.