Iran’s nuclear standoff with the United States and Israel may now be entering a far more dangerous phase. According to a Reuters report citing senior Iranian sources, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered that Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile must not leave the country under any future agreement. The reported directive directly challenges one of Washington and Israel’s core demands in ongoing negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted the war cannot end unless Iran’s enriched uranium is removed. With Tehran refusing to back down, fears are now growing that the nuclear confrontation could escalate even further.