Iran ready to dilute enriched uranium for sanction relief – has Trump finally cornered Tehran?

The willingness to dilute highly enriched uranium is in exchange for sanctions relief, as nuclear negotiations continue under the shadow of US President Trump’s pressure-driven strategy and ongoing regional military posturing.

Iran-US tensions: New diplomatic signals are coming from Tehran as talks with Washington continue to be influenced by President Donald Trump’s pressure-driven foreign policy. Iran’s atomic chief Mohammad Eslami has said that the country could consider diluting the purity of its highly enriched uranium stockpile up to 60 percent if the United States agrees to lift sanctions that have battered the country’s economy for years.

He said the decision would depend on what Iran received in economic relief and how many sanctions were removed. He did not make it clear whether Tehran wanted all global sanctions lifted or only those imposed by the United States.

The decision shows that Iran is negotiating for economic relief, not stepping back strategically. Officials are weighing the impact on fuel supplies, trade, banking access and oil exports before agreeing to reduce nuclear activity.

In nuclear terms, dilution involves blending highly enriched uranium with lower-grade material to bring enrichment levels down. The country presently stands alone among non-nuclear-armed states in producing uranium enriched to 60 percent, a level that reduces the technical distance to weapons-grade material. That capability has become a bone of contention in talks strongly influenced by Trump’s hardline demands.

The US president has spent months insisting on a total halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment. Tehran viewed the demand as an attempt to dismantle its civilian nuclear infrastructure altogether. Iranian policymakers say their position is based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They argue that countries that signed it have the legal right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful use.

Diplomatic traffic is now intensifying around Oman, where mediated talks between Iranian and American representatives are being facilitated. Senior Iranian security leadership is preparing to carry messages tied directly to enrichment levels, sanctions relief and verification mechanisms. The backchannel diplomacy shows the tense environment created by years of threats, rising sanctions and military pressure during Trump’s tenure.

Iran’s foreign policy officials say the talks are serious and focussed on securing results. They are showing willingness to reach a deal that protects Iran’s nuclear rights while also bringing economic relief. At the same time, there is mistrust toward Washington because of past deal pullouts and expanded sanctions during Trump’s time in power.

Within Iran’s executive leadership, the talks are being treated as a rare diplomatic opening capable of producing a balanced settlement. Decision-makers are pushing for guarantees that sanctions removal would be durable, enforceable and insulated from future political reversals in Washington.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to publicly describe the talks through the language of coercion. He presents Iran as being under pressure and warns that if no deal is reached, there could be serious consequences. Military deployments ordered during earlier confrontation cycles is part of the psychological backdrop surrounding negotiations, including carrier strike groups and forward naval assets deployed across Middle Eastern waters.

Observers tracking the talks see movement toward preliminary understanding if compared to previous months. Messages being passed through Gulf countries sound careful but positive. These regional mediators are now trying to turn general political discussions into detailed negotiations on issues like limits on uranium enrichment, nuclear inspections and the step-by-step lifting of sanctions.