The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the United States has rejected a Russian proposal to remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile as part of efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow had offered to take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium and store it within Russian territory. Speaking to India Today, he described the proposal as a constructive step toward resolving the crisis but noted that Washington declined the initiative.
“Russia was prepared to accept Iran’s enriched uranium on its territory. This would be a good decision. But unfortunately, the American side rejected this proposal,” Peskov said.
Russia initially floated the plan in June last year; however, it did not gain traction at the time. According to recent reports, Moscow revived the proposal this week amid renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the conflict.
Meanwhile, US media outlets reported that the administration of President Donald Trump ruled out the proposal, although officials have not publicly detailed the reasons behind the decision. The US has repeatedly cited Iran’s expanding stockpile of enriched uranium and concerns over potential nuclear weapon capability as justification for its actions against Tehran.
On the other hand, Iranian officials indicated that any agreement involving its nuclear material would depend on broader negotiations with Washington, particularly regarding its nuclear programme and sanctions relief.
Previously, a Russian deputy foreign minister suggested that Moscow could convert Iran’s enriched uranium into civilian reactor fuel, thereby reducing proliferation risks while facilitating diplomatic progress. However, despite ongoing discussions, no agreement has yet been reached.
