The White House said that final comprehensive deal reached by world powers and Iran on its nuclear program could include the capacity for uranium enrichment.

The White House said that final comprehensive deal reached by world powers and Iran on its nuclear program could include the capacity for uranium enrichment.

"We are prepared to negotiate a strictly limited enrichment program," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“If we can reach an understanding on all of these strict constraints, then we can have an arrangement that includes a very modest amount of enrichment that is tied to Iran’s actual needs and that eliminates any near-term breakout capability,” Meehan added.

Iran had already said that any nuclear deal with the six world powers must recognize Tehran’s right, under the non-proliferation treaty or NPT, to keep enriching uranium as part of a nuclear energy program. The new statement however, is the first on-the-record confirmation from the US side.

Earlier last month, Iran and the P5+1 - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - reached an interim agreement after a decade-long dispute over the Iranian program. Negotiations are set to be continuing until a comprehensive deal is reached within a year or so.