Iran Rejects US Proposal After Four Days as Fight Over Enriched Uranium Continues

US Demands Return of All Highly Enriched Uranium

Iran Offers to Dilute Some and Send the Rest to a Third Country

Trump Calls Response "Totally Unacceptable," Says More Strikes Possible

The US and Iran have rejected each other’s proposals aimed at ending the war. The two sides remain far apart on whether Iran should send its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country and how long it would have to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Wall Street Journal reported on May 10 that Iran, in a formal multipage response sent to the US through mediator Pakistan, rejected Washington’s demand to dismantle its nuclear facilities. Instead, Iran proposed diluting part of its current stockpile of highly enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country.

Washington had demanded that Iran return all of its highly enriched uranium. Tehran rejected that demand and offered its own alternative. Iran also asked for guarantees that uranium transferred abroad would be returned if talks break down or if the US later withdraws from an agreement, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. It also held to its position that any suspension of uranium enrichment should be shorter than the 20 years proposed by the US.

Iran also proposed gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ships and ports, followed by 30 days of talks on the nuclear issue, the report said.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on May 10 that he had just read the response from what he called Iran’s so-called representatives and that it was "totally unacceptable." In another post the same day, he said Iran was "playing a game of delay" with the US and other countries and warned that "it won’t be so funny anymore."

As another round of war-ending talks between the US and Iran collapsed, an interview was also released in which Trump said the US could continue attacking Iran for two more weeks.

In an interview with the US current-affairs program "Full Measure" released on May 10, Trump said, "We can go in for another two weeks and attack every target." He said there were specific targets the US had wanted to hit and that "about 70%" of that mission had been completed, but added that there were other targets the US could still strike.

The confrontation between the two sides also sent oil prices sharply higher. Brent crude rose about 3.5% to above $104 a barrel, while US stock-index futures fell as risk aversion intensified.

Park Shin-young, New York correspondent, Hankyung.com nyusos@hankyung.com