Iran Parliament Threatens Weapons-Grade 90% Uranium Enrichment if Attacked Again — US–Iran MOU Deadlocked With No New Round Scheduled

As US–Iran MOU negotiations remained completely deadlocked through May 13, 2026, senior Iranian lawmakers escalated nuclear deterrence rhetoric. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and MP Ebrahim Rezaei publicly warned that Iran would enrich uranium to 90% — weapons-grade — if Iran was attacked again, according to reporting by Euronews and Al-Arabiya on May 12–13. Iran currently holds approximately 400–460 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, a stockpile that US and Israeli officials assess could be upgraded to weapons-grade within one to two weeks using existing centrifuge infrastructure. The 90% enrichment threat represents a significant escalation in domestic political pressure on Iran's negotiating position: if the legislature is publicly committing to a nuclear breakout response to any attack, the space for a compromise MOU framework narrows severely. The state of negotiations as of May 13: Trump declared the ceasefire 'on massive life support' on May 12; the US Treasury and State Departments imposed new targeted sanctions on Iranian nuclear research entities and China–Iran ballistic missile supply chains; Iran's 14-point MOU counterproposal (submitted May 10 via Pakistan back-channel) was rejected by Trump as 'totally unacceptable'; and CNN confirmed a 'clash of perceptions' — Iran demands comprehensive sanctions relief, security guarantees, and enrichment rights as preconditions; the US insists on a narrow ceasefire-first MOU deferring all comprehensive issues to a 30-day negotiating window. No new round of talks is scheduled. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed for the third consecutive month, with approximately 750 commercial vessels trapped and US gas prices at their highest level since July 2022 ($4.48/gal). Trump is traveling to China during this period, creating a possible indirect diplomatic back-channel through Beijing.