The White House said Tuesday that a final comprehensive agreement the six world powers seek to reach with Iran over its nuclear energy program could include the capacity for uranium enrichment

The White House said Tuesday that a final comprehensive agreement the six world powers seek to reach with Iran over its nuclear energy 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.

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.

“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 said.