Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged his government’s full backing for strengthening the country’s armed forces, saying state resources will be aligned with strategic defence needs. He made the remarks during a high-level security meeting with Major General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, where officials discussed national defence policy, operational readiness and reinforcement of military infrastructure.
Pezeshkian stressed that national unity and military capability are mutually dependent in protecting the country, saying, “National unity and the authority of the armed forces are the most important backing for the country’s security,” and reiterated that the government will support the armed forces “with all its capacity.”
The domestic emphasis on bolstering military capabilities comes amid fraught diplomatic talks and regional tensions. According to reports citing Iranian sources and international coverage, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remain in the country, rejecting a US demand that it be removed as part of negotiations. US and Israeli officials had sought the extraction of highly enriched uranium from Iran; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not agree to end hostilities until Iran’s enriched uranium is removed, its support for regional proxy groups ceases, and its ballistic missile infrastructure is dismantled.
Iranian sources quoted in foreign reports said Tehran’s leadership views surrendering the enriched material as a threat to national security and that control of the stockpile is seen as a deterrent against future attacks. Under Iran’s constitution, the Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority over core state policies, including defence and nuclear matters.
The diplomatic deadlock follows a fragile cessation of active fighting that began on April 8, after a period of intensified exchanges earlier in the year. Those clashes included US‑ and Israeli‑led strikes on Iranian targets in late February, Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf locations hosting US forces, and cross‑border fighting between Israeli forces and Iran‑aligned groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. Although active combat has paused, negotiators have not reached a comprehensive settlement.
Talks have been complicated by a US naval blockade on Iranian shipping and Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor. Reports say negotiations are being mediated through Pakistan. Within Tehran there is scepticism about US intentions; senior Iranian negotiators have warned that “obvious and hidden moves by the enemy” suggest preparations for renewed offensives. US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States stands prepared to launch further strikes if Iran does not sign a comprehensive peace treaty, while allowing a short window for a response.
Major points of contention include the final disposition of Iran’s highly enriched uranium and Tehran’s insistence on international recognition of its sovereign right to enrichment for peaceful purposes. Iranian officials insist their primary objective is a legally binding, permanent end to the fighting with credible guarantees that the United States and Israel will not resume military operations. Only after such security assurances, Tehran says, would it engage in detailed technical negotiations over its nuclear programme. Iran has repeatedly denied any intent to build nuclear weapons.
Before hostilities escalated, Iranian authorities had indicated a conditional willingness to export roughly half of their uranium enriched to 60 percent—a level far above civilian reactor requirements—but that offer reportedly faded after repeated public threats of strikes. Israeli officials have said it is unclear whether the US will order new strikes or will authorise Israel to act independently. Tehran has warned of severe retaliation if its territory is attacked.
Some Iranian sources and analysts say diplomatic solutions remain possible, including measures such as diluting part of the enriched stockpile under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision. IAEA records indicate that before strikes in June 2025 Iran had an estimated 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent. The exact amount that survived subsequent attacks is uncertain. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told inspectors that much of the surviving material was concentrated in fortified underground facilities at Isfahan—about 200 kg by his March estimate—with additional quantities at the Natanz enrichment site.
Iran maintains that certain quantities of highly enriched uranium are required for legitimate domestic uses, including medical isotope production and to fuel a research reactor that operates on lower‑enriched material (around 20 percent).
(Reporting draws on official Iranian statements and international press accounts, including agency reporting and IAEA statements.)
