Iran Refuses to Move Enriched Uranium Abroad, Warns US Bases

Iran will not allow any of its enriched uranium to leave the country, the country’s security chief said on Wednesday, warning that any new American military strike would be answered with attacks on United States bases far from Iran’s borders.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the remarks in a televised interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television network. His comments show how far apart Tehran and Washington remain over Iran’s nuclear programme.

“Iran will not allow even a single particle of enriched nuclear material to leave the country,” Rezaei said, adding that there would be consequences if the United States launched another attack on Iran.

FAKTA

• Who spoke: Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
• When and where: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, in a televised interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.
• The core message: No enriched uranium will be transferred abroad — “not even a single particle”.
• The warning: Any new US attack would be met with strikes on US bases “far away”.
• The stockpile: The IAEA estimated Iran held 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60% before the June 2025 strikes on its nuclear sites.
• Talks: Rezaei said no negotiations are currently taking place between Tehran and Washington.

No negotiations under way

Rezaei confirmed that Iran and the United States are not holding talks. Last week, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had sent Washington a nuclear proposal through Qatar, to be discussed only after Washington met seven demands presented by Iran.

Washington has said nuclear issues must be part of any first round of talks aimed at ending the conflict between the two countries. The gap has left diplomacy stalled, even as both sides say they want to avoid another war.

A stockpile at the centre of the dispute

At the heart of the standoff is Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. In May, Iran’s Supreme Leader issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, according to two senior Iranian sources.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimated that Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent when Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. That level is far above civilian needs, and Western governments have long argued it leaves Iran close to weapons capability. Tehran insists its programme is peaceful.

A softer tone from Washington

Rezaei spoke after US officials played down the need for further military action against Iran. Analysts have linked the shift to President Donald Trump’s more conciliatory tone since the Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections on 3 November.

Even so, his warning shows Tehran is preparing for another strike — and signalling its response would reach well beyond the region. With diplomacy frozen and the uranium question unresolved, the standoff remains one of the most dangerous in the Middle East.

More coverage of the region is available on Watan News.