60 Or 90 Days? Uranium Timeline Emerges As Key Hurdle In Final Phase Of US-Iran Talks

Last Updated:June 06, 2026, 12:02 IST

Several sticky points remain in the final phase of US-Iran talks, particularly related to Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium and frozen assets.

Ongoing discussions between the United States and Iran are hanging in the balance as US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made an unannounced trip to a national lab in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for consultations with technical experts that could play a role in nuclear negotiations, according to reports.

Despite months of negotiations, differences persist between the US and Iran on several issues linked to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the war, particularly on Tehran’s enriched uranium. Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran must end its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is for peaceful civilian purposes.

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Sources told Axios that the negotiations are in their final phase, although it remains unclear whether agreement will ultimately be reached. Two officials said a team of roughly 100 experts has been established to take part in nuclear talks should a preliminary deal be reached.

Iran, US At Odds Over Uranium Deadline

Last week, the US and Iran agreed on a 60-day MoU to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allow Iran to sell oil and launch talks on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and limitations on future enrichment, although Trump sought for two amendments to the text.

As the US waits for the official Iranian response, Axios reported that the gaps are relatively narrow, but a key point of contention has been Trump’s deadline for Iran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium.

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Trump has asked Tehran to agree that any final deal would include a 60-day deadline to conclude the down-blending of Iran’s enriched uranium, but the Iranians want that deadline to be 90 days, according to the report.

The US and Iran are also in disagreement over how much of Iran’s frozen billions would be released, and when. The US has said it would release funds after a final deal was reached, but Tehran wants some of the funds to be released immediately.

Why Are Trump’s Envoys In Tennessee?

Two US officials confirmed that he and Kushner were visiting Energy Department facilities at Oak Ridge, which houses some of the country’s foremost experts in uranium processing and centrifuge technology.

Axios says if the negotiations advance to the second phase, the team of experts at Oak Ridge would have to develop a plan for the disposal of Iran’s nuclear material, how to limit the enrichment program further, and how to verify compliance. Some of the nuclear experts participated in the process of recovering enriched uranium from Venezuela several weeks ago.

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Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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