Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the United States to demand that Iran surrender all enriched uranium and be prohibited from further enrichment as part of any nuclear agreement.
Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu emphasized that “all enriched material has to leave Iran” and the country should maintain no enrichment capability. His remarks come ahead of the second round of Iran-US negotiations scheduled in Switzerland on Tuesday.
Iranian officials, while open to compromise if sanctions are discussed, view zero enrichment as a red line and a violation of their rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC that Tehran has offered to dilute its 60%-enriched uranium to demonstrate willingness to negotiate, though he did not clarify whether this includes lifting all or some sanctions, or shipping more than 400kg of highly enriched uranium out of the country.
The US has increased pressure on Iran, deploying two aircraft carriers—including its largest-ever warship—to the region, with additional naval forces positioned to respond to potential threats. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that President Donald Trump favors diplomacy and a negotiated settlement over military action. Trump’s senior envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to meet Iranian negotiators, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva.
Netanyahu, who recently met Trump at the White House, expressed skepticism and stressed Israel’s security concerns. Key Israeli demands include restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program and curbing support for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which have been used to target Israel. Tehran has so far refused to discuss its missile program with US officials.
The negotiations aim to revive a nuclear deal similar to the 2015 agreement, from which the US withdrew, under which Iran limited nuclear activities and allowed inspections in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, concerns remain over Iran’s highly enriched uranium, which has raised suspicions about potential weapons development, something Tehran denies.
