China Could Take Iran's Enriched Uranium as Trump Pushes Deal

China is open to taking custody of or downgrading about 970 pounds of enriched uranium that President Donald Trump has said must be removed from Iran as part of a potential deal to end the war, a diplomat familiar with Beijing's thinking told the Associated Press.

For now, Trump appears to favor the United States taking possession of the uranium, which is believed to be buried beneath nuclear facilities heavily damaged during American airstrikes last summer.

But China - Iran's largest trading partner - has signaled it would be willing, if requested by both Washington and Tehran, to take custody of the material or to down‑blend it to lower enrichment levels suitable for civilian use, the diplomat said. The individual spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive matter publicly.

The possible role for China mirrors past arrangements under international nuclear agreements. In 2015, as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran shipped roughly 25,000 pounds of low‑enriched uranium to Russia to comply with a key requirement of that deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program.

This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.

Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 6:39 PM.