TEHRAN – Iran has ruled out transferring any of its enriched nuclear material abroad, reaffirmed its determination to retain full control over its nuclear capabilities, and warned that any renewed US or Israeli aggression would trigger a far more devastating response, as senior officials highlighted the country's growing military capabilities and readiness to defend its security.
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei made the nuclear position unequivocally clear in an interview with Al Mayadeen, stressing that not even the smallest quantity of enriched nuclear material would be shipped out of the country.
"Even the smallest amount of enriched nuclear material will not be taken out of Iran," Rezaei said, adding that Tehran had informed its Russian partners that the material would remain inside the country and be used for Iran's own purposes.
He explained that Iran requires enriched nuclear material for its plans to design and manufacture nuclear-powered vessels, including ships and submarines.
Rezaei's remarks underscore Tehran's insistence on maintaining control over its nuclear stockpile, ruling out its transfer abroad as part of any potential diplomatic arrangement.
Addressing the prospects for ending the ongoing war and negotiations with Washington, the SNSC secretary stressed that any cessation of hostilities must encompass all fronts across West Asia, particularly Lebanon. He also reiterated Iran's demand for an end to the naval blockade, the release of its frozen assets, and credible guarantees against renewed military aggression.
Rezaei warned that any fresh US military attack would be met with retaliatory strikes against American military installations, including bases located far from Iran.
He also highlighted Iran's advances in electronic warfare, saying the country had developed sophisticated capabilities enabling it to take control of American drones and bring them down intact.
The security official's remarks came as the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force unveiled a new underground missile city on Nov. 10, showcasing another dimension of Iran's military preparedness.
Iran's position on its nuclear program extends beyond rejecting the transfer of enriched uranium abroad. Tehran has also repeatedly stressed that uranium enrichment itself is an integral part of its peaceful nuclear activities and not an issue on which it is prepared to surrender its rights.
On November 9, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei reiterated Iran's categorical opposition to transferring its enriched uranium stockpile to another country, describing the proposal as "off the table" and saying there was no justification for such a move. Speaking to Al
Mayadeen, he also reaffirmed Iran's commitment to pursuing a diplomatic solution without compromising its national interests and security.
The position had been reinforced earlier by Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), who said on October 8 that the country would under no circumstances abandon its enriched uranium. He also described enrichment as an indispensable component of the nuclear fuel cycle, arguing that a country cannot develop a nuclear industry without mastering this essential stage of the process.
Iranian officials have thus drawn a distinction between the country's right to continue enrichment on its own soil and proposals concerning the handling or transfer of its existing stockpile. Both issues remain central to Tehran's position in any prospective negotiations, with Iranian officials insisting that a diplomatic settlement cannot require the country to relinquish its legitimate nuclear rights.
Western nuclear analysts have also acknowledged the strategic leverage Iran retains through its stockpile of enriched uranium, particularly material enriched to 60 percent.
Nicole Grajewski, an Iran researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), has explicitly described the stockpile as a source of future negotiating leverage for Tehran, arguing that Iran is likely to seek to use this strategic asset to its advantage in any future diplomatic engagement.
A similar assessment was offered by the US-based Arms Control Association, which said Tehran would likely regard any surviving 60-percent-enriched uranium as critical negotiating leverage following the US-Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities.
In an analysis on May 29, 2026, headlined "Iran's Strongest Card in Nuclear Talks: Its Highly Enriched Uranium," Al-Monitor highlighted the stockpile's central role in the diplomatic standoff, noting that the survival of a substantial portion of Iran's enriched uranium had become Washington's foremost concern ahead of nuclear negotiations.
These assessments underscore the strategic significance of Iran's insistence on retaining control over its enriched nuclear material, suggesting that the fate of the stockpile is not merely a technical issue but a major determinant of the balance of leverage in any future negotiations.