Iran may accept nuclear consortium with U.S.

Iran is open to basing a nuclear deal with the U.S. around the idea of a regional uranium enrichment consortium, so long as it is located within Iran, a senior Iranian official told Axios.

The regional enrichment consortium is a key element in the proposal White House envoy Steve Witkoff gave Iran on Saturday. It's an attempt to reconcile U.S. President Donald Trump's position that Iran can't be allowed to enrich uranium and Tehran's insistence that enrichment on its soil must continue.

"If the consortium operates within the territory of Iran, it may warrant consideration. However, should it be based outside the borders of the country, it is certainly doomed to fail," the senior Iranian official said.

There could be a path by which the U.S. can declare that Iran is not allowed to enrich uranium - because the enrichment would over time be overseen by a broader group and not just Iran's government - and Iran can claim its red line around enrichment remains intact.