Iran could accept nuclear consortium on its soil, Iranian official says

Iran is open to basing a nuclear deal with the U.S. around the idea of a regional uranium enrichment consortium, so long as it is located within Iran, a senior Iranian official tells Axios.Why it matters: The regional enrichment consortium is a key element in the proposal White House envoy Steve Witkoff gave Iran on Saturday. It's an attempt to reconcile President Trump's position that Iran can't be allowed to enrich uranium and Tehran's insistence that enrichment on its soil must continue.The intrigue: "If the consortium operates within the territory of Iran, it may warrant consideration. However, should it be based outside the borders of the country, it is certainly doomed to fail," the senior Iranian official told Axios.That response suggests Tehran may not outright reject Witkoff's offer, but instead seek to negotiate on the fine print.Axios first reported the details of Witkoff's proposal on Monday.Zoom in: The proposal doesn't clearly define where the consortium would be located. In theory, the consortium would include the U.S., Iran and countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and even Turkey. It would supply nuclear fuel to countries who want to develop civilian nuclear programs and be monitored by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. Between the lines: There could be a path by which the U.S. can declare that Iran is not allowed to enrich uranium — because the enrichment would over time be overseen by a broader group and not just Iran's government — and Iran can claim its red line around enrichment remains intact.But settling on terms to which both sides can agree will be a challenge, not to mention actually establishing such a consortium.The big picture: According to the U.S. proposal, the nuclear deal will focus on creating a regional enrichment consortium under these conditions:Iran won't be allowed to develop domestic enrichment capabilities beyond those necessary for civilian purposes.After signing the agreement, Iran will have to temporarily reduce its enrichment concentration to 3%. This period will be agreed upon in negotiations.Iran's underground enrichment facilities will have to become "non-operational" for a period of time agreed by the parties.The enrichment activity in Iran's above-ground facilities will temporarily be limited to the level needed for nuclear reactor fuel.What to watch: The U.S. is still waiting to receive Iran's response for the proposal in the coming days. Iranian officials have already said they want more clarity on when and how the U.S. would lift its sanctions under the proposal.A sixth round of nuclear talks between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi could take place this weekend in the Middle East, sources say. Go deeper:Trump cautioned Netanyahu to avoid steps that undermine Iran nuclear talksGulf leaders told Trump they oppose strikes on Iran's nuclear programIran threatens to move nuclear material to secret sites to thwart Israeli strike

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