Mike Waltz: US offered to sell Iran uranium for civilian programme

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told NBC’s Meet the Press that the United States had proposed selling uranium to Iran for use in a civilian nuclear programme during earlier negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict. Waltz said Washington was prepared to structure such an arrangement in a way similar to the 2009 US-UAE agreement, under which the UAE agreed not to enrich uranium domestically or reprocess spent fuel and accepted international inspections. Waltz said the Trump administration was open to allowing Iran to maintain a civilian nuclear programme provided Tehran met obligations under international law and the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He added that options discussed included measures to prevent Iran from possessing or reconstructing highly enriched uranium, and even having Tehran transfer existing weapons-capable material out of the country. The longer dispute centers on what should be done with Iran’s current enriched uranium and how to ensure future supplies cannot be diverted to weapons use. The article cites an estimate that Iran has more than 440kg of uranium enriched to about 60% purity; by comparison, uranium enriched to roughly 90% is suitable for a nuclear weapon. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran had agreed to cap enrichment at 3.67% under strict inspection, but the Trump administration withdrew from that deal in 2018. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concern about Iran’s “continued noncompliance” with NPT safeguards, and the agency said on September 10 that it has lacked access to key Iranian nuclear sites since June 2025 after attacks by Israel and the US. Iranian officials have rejected the IAEA finding as politically influenced and said they would not allow inspections until facilities could be made safe from military strikes. Against this background, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Meet the Press he remains engaged in diplomacy but said Iran is prepared for war to resume if necessary.