Iran Supreme Leader Blocks Uranium Export May 2026: Oil Spikes 3%, Deal in Jeopardy

# Iran Supreme Leader Blocks Uranium Export May 2026: Oil Spikes 3%, Deal in Jeopardy

> **Quick answer:** Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a directive that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile — approximately 440kg enriched to 60% purity — must not leave the country. The order directly contradicts a core U.S. demand and torpedoes one of the most contested provisions in the 14-point MOU framework. Brent crude jumped to $108.34 (+3%), WTI hit $101.96 (+4%), and Strait of Hormuz closure fears are intensifying. The deal that was described as "close" this morning is now in serious doubt.

This is the breaking development that changes everything. Less than 24 hours after analysts were calling the Iran-U.S. peace framework "closer than at any point since February," Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued an internal directive that the country's enriched uranium must remain in Iran — full stop. Oil prices are reacting violently, markets are selling off, and the 14-point MOU framework we covered this morning is suddenly hanging by a thread.

## What Khamenei Said — And Why It's a Deal-Breaker

According to senior Iranian sources cited by Reuters and multiple regional outlets, the directive from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is unambiguous: Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium "should not leave the country." The phrasing is reportedly the consensus position of Iran's entire security and nuclear establishment, not just the Supreme Leader personally.

The reasoning from Tehran is strategic vulnerability. Iranian officials argue that exporting the uranium — even under supervised conditions — would strip the country of its primary nuclear deterrent and leave it more exposed to future U.S. and Israeli military strikes. From Iran's perspective, the enriched uranium stockpile is not just a negotiating chip. It is an insurance policy.