U.S. proposal allows limited uranium enrichment in Iran, signaling policy shift: Axios

The United States has reportedly offered Iran a nuclear proposal that would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment for an unspecified period—a marked shift from previous public U.S. positions that demanded full dismantlement of Iran’s enrichment program.

A U.S. nuclear proposal presented to Iranian officials on Saturday would permit limited low-grade uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, according to a report by the U.S.-based news outlet Axios, citing sources with direct knowledge of the talks.

The offer—delivered during a fifth round of indirect U.S.-Iran negotiations in Rome on May 23 under Omani mediation—would allow enrichment for strictly civilian purposes under tight international oversight. This stands in contrast to earlier public assurances by senior U.S. officials that no Iranian enrichment would be permitted under any new agreement.

The White House did not confirm or deny the Axios report. 

According to the report, the proposal includes the following provisions: temporary low-level enrichment: Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium to a maximum of 3%, consistent with nuclear reactor fuel requirements. Iran would be prohibited from constructing additional uranium enrichment facilities. Key underground infrastructure would be deactivated for a yet-undisclosed period. Iran would be required to immediately adopt the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, granting inspectors access to declared and undeclared sites for environmental sampling. All research and development of advanced centrifuges would cease. Any easing of sanctions would be conditional, depending on verifiable commitments from Iran to the IAEA and the U.S.

A key element of the plan is the establishment of a regional monitoring consortium to ensure compliance, which would work in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The proposal may reflect a more pragmatic U.S. approach as Washington seeks to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities without demanding a complete rollback of civilian enrichment—something Iran has long refused.

The framework could pave the way for renewed diplomacy following years of stalled negotiations since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under President Donald Trump. Trump has maintained that his administration will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and is currently pursuing a replacement deal with stricter terms.

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