- Iran supreme leader orders that near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile must stay in Iran
- The directive reflects the consensus among Iranian establishment
As a reminder, the US wants Iran to completely remove or neutralise its near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile. And this issue has been a major point of contention since the beginning of the war. Trump has made it clear that he wants a total halt to Iran's enrichment program and has made it clear that simply limiting or pausing future enrichment is not enough.
That being said, the latest stance here is no different from what it has been for weeks now.
If you might recall, whatever the US and Iran is negotiating with regards to the peace proposal is all in part just a framework agreement. At best, it will just be one to facilitate nuclear discussions involving the issue above.
So even if there is a breakthrough on talks, just be reminded that it is mainly all just to set up for core negotiations on the uranium situation. And in that lieu, there is still a major gap in which the US and Iran cannot bridge. The above position continues to reflect that difference.
The risk mood takes a hit from the headlines with S&P 500 futures now dropping by 0.3% on the day. Oil prices have also spiked on the news, with WTI crude now jumping back up above $100 from around $97.80 earlier. At the same time, 10-year Treasury yields are now moving up to 4.61% and gold is moving down by 0.7% to $4,512.
