Washington insists on uranium enrichment ban in Iran negotiations
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The United States continues to insist that any potential agreement with Iran must include a complete ban on uranium enrichment by Tehran. According to Washington, this is the only way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"No enrichment of Uranium and... Iran is absolutely not able to achieve a nuclear weapon. The President has been very clear about that," she said, answering a reporter's question about the conditions the United States is imposing on Tehran.
Reporter: "What exactly would a deal with Iran need to entail?"@PressSec: "No enrichment of Uranium and... Iran is absolutely not able to achieve a nuclear weapon. The President has been very clear about that." pic.twitter.com/ohHcnFLhPD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 19, 2025
US-Iran negotiations
Iran has rejected a proposal to create a regional consortium for uranium enrichment outside the country. The proposal was discussed on June 19 between US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran is demanding that the US pressure Israel to stop bombing Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Only after the attacks stop will it be ready to fully return to negotiations.
Israel, for its part, is asking the US to intervene in the conflict in order to destroy the most critical site of Iran's nuclear program - the uranium enrichment facility in Fordow, which is currently invulnerable to Israeli weaponry.
US may enter war against Iran
US President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision on whether to join the war against Iran within the next two weeks. According to media reports, Trump is leaning toward allowing US forces to strike the Fordow nuclear facility.
However, the implementation of the attack plan has been delayed due to several concerns. In particular, Trump is unsure about the effectiveness of US bombs - he doesn't know if they are capable of destroying the heavily fortified Fordow site.
Adding fuel to the fire is the US Congress, which on June 19 introduced a joint resolution by Democrats and Republicans explicitly prohibiting the President from intervening in the war between Iran and Israel.
Still, as Zion Alon, leader of the Israeli political party A-Hazon, told RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel, Israel will continue its operation even if the US refuses to help. Israel does not plan to wait two weeks - they expect a clear "yes" or "no" from Trump within the next 48 hours.
Moreover, Israel is prepared to carry out a risky ground operation to eliminate the Fordow nuclear facility. If Trump does not authorize a strike, Israeli special forces will be deployed to the site.
