U.S.-Iran Deal Would Require Destruction and Removal of Enriched Uranium, White House Official Says

A senior White House official told Walla on Friday that the emerging agreement between the United States and Iran would give the Americans custody of Iran’s enriched nuclear material. According to the official, the sides have agreed that the material will be destroyed at the site and then taken out of the country.

The official said the memorandum of understanding is intended to ensure long-term peace in the region and to end Iranian financing of violence in the Middle East. At the same time, he stressed that all parties would respect Iran’s territorial sovereignty.

The official said the deal is expected to be signed in the coming days, though he would not name an exact date. He said his confidence in the signing had risen during the day from about 75% in the morning to roughly 80% or 85%, but added that it was still not certain.

He also described the Iranian system as highly complex and said internal divisions remain unresolved. “Most of the people we have spoken with, and most of the people who hold authority in their system, want to sign this agreement, but not all,” he said, adding that the internal cracks are still being worked through as Iran tries to reach a point where it can say yes.