Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that his country is offering services to transfer surplus enriched uranium from Iran, considering this an option that could contribute to easing tensions between the many international parties involved in the Iranian nuclear issue.
Foreign Minister Peskov said in a press statement yesterday (Monday) that the proposal had been on the agenda for a long time and that Russia was proposing it as one of the practical solutions that could remove “factors of anxiety” for many countries within the framework of efforts to de-escalate tensions.
The Kremlin spokesperson added that Russia continues to communicate with all parties and stressed that Russia is fully committed to the role of mediator and contributor to finding a technical and political solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.
The statement comes amid heightened regional and international tensions related to Iran’s nuclear program, especially after President Donald Trump’s administration returned to a maximum pressure policy and renewed Israeli and Western concerns over Iran’s progress in enriching uranium to high levels.
The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran has large reserves of enriched uranium, in some cases up to 60% or more, and despite Tehran’s claims that the program is peaceful, it has raised international concerns because it is close to the levels needed to make nuclear weapons.
Historically, Russia, one of the key parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, had proposed similar solutions, including storing or processing Iranian enriched uranium on its territory, or converting it into fuel for civilian nuclear reactors, as was done within the framework of previous agreements. For example, uranium was transferred from Iran to Russia from 2015 to 2016 within the scope of the agreement’s implementation.
Russia’s proposal comes amid conflicting reports about the possibility of resuming indirect talks between Iran and the United States and the refusal of some Iranian officials to talk about transferring nuclear material out of the country, while other reports say Tehran is willing to show flexibility if sanctions are lifted and guarantees are provided.
Spokesman of the Russian President’s Office Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia is offering services to transport excess enriched uranium from Iran, which Russia considers an option that could ease tensions between several international parties involved in the Iranian nuclear issue.
Foreign Minister Peskov told a press conference yesterday (Monday) that the proposal had been on the agenda for a long time and that Russia was proposing it as one of the practical solutions that could eliminate “disturbing factors” for some countries in the context of de-escalation efforts.
The Kremlin spokesperson added that Russia continues to communicate with all parties and stressed that Russia is fully committed to its role as an intermediary and contributor to finding a technical and political solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.
The statement comes amid heightened regional and international tensions related to Iran’s nuclear program, particularly following the return of the US administration under President Donald Trump to a maximum pressure policy and renewed Israeli and Western concerns about Iran’s progress toward high levels of uranium enrichment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran has large reserves of enriched uranium, in some cases at levels of more than 60%, approaching levels needed to build nuclear weapons despite Tehran’s claims that its program is peaceful, raising international concerns.
Historically, Russia, one of the key powers in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has proposed similar solutions, such as storing or processing Iranian enriched uranium on its territory, or converting it into fuel for civilian nuclear reactors, as was done in previous agreements, such as transferring uranium from Iran to Russia in 2015-2016 as part of implementing the deal.
Russia’s proposal comes amid contradictory reports about the possibility of resuming indirect talks between Iran and the United States and the refusal of some Iranian officials to discuss transferring nuclear material abroad, while others suggest Tehran is willing to show flexibility if sanctions are lifted and guarantees are provided.
