Iran says it has a right to enrich uranium. The US wants the stockpile gone. Here's why Last updated: May 29, 2026 | 14:50 Satellite image shows the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Planet covered by a new roof at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. AP The material weighs less than a small family car. Yet the fate of roughly 440kg of highly enriched uranium may determine whether the United States and Iran can turn a fragile ceasefire into a broader diplomatic agreement. Weeks of negotiations have brought Washington and Tehran closer to a possible framework that could extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch a new phase of talks. But one issue continues to overshadow almost every other discussion: what happens to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. According to international inspectors, the material could potentially be sufficient for around 10 nuclear weapons if further enriched, making it one of the most sensitive issues on the negotiating table.…