Nuclear experts are warning that President Donald Trump’s new Iran framework could leave Tehran with too much control over its uranium stockpile unless inspectors first locate, secure, and verify the material.

Concerns Over Uranium Stockpile

The concern centers on language in the reported U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) that says the two sides will resolve the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile through a still-to-be-negotiated process. The MOU identifies on-site ‘downblending,’ which means diluting enriched uranium so it is less usable for a nuclear weapon, under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision as the minimum acceptable method for dealing with the material.

Chuck DeVore, Chief National Initiatives Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Fox News Digital that ‘unfettered verification is everything’ and that there can be no denial for teams to inspect on the ground. DeVore also cautioned that the material would still need additional processing to be turned into weapons-grade uranium and said he does not believe Tehran can currently do that because key facilities were destroyed in last year’s strikes.

Expert Warnings

Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation Program, told Fox News Digital that any credible agreement must begin with recovering and safeguarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and not allowing Tehran to keep control of the material while it is diluted inside the country. Stricker warned that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could, if recovered and further enriched, provide enough weapons-grade material for roughly 22 nuclear weapons.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.