Iran’s Supreme Leader said enriched uranium must stay in Iran, rejecting a key American demand as Tehran hardened its line in talks over its nuclear program. Iranian sources said the decision leaves little room for compromise on one of the most disputed issues between the two sides.
The statement came as Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz must now obtain official permits and comply with regulations issued under Tehran’s new maritime governance system. The move raises the stakes in a strategic waterway that has long sat at the center of Iran Us News and broader regional security concerns.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, and any change to the rules governing passage carries immediate weight for energy markets and maritime traffic. By linking its uranium position with tighter control over the strait, Iran is signaling that it intends to keep pressure on Washington on more than one front at the same time.
The new permit requirement also creates a point of friction that could test how far Iran is willing to enforce its maritime rules and how the United States and others respond. The details of how those permits will be issued, and whether ships already in transit will face new checks, remain the next issues to watch.
For now, the message from Tehran is blunt: enriched uranium stays inside Iran, and passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be governed by Tehran’s rules.
