Vladimir Putin proposes Iran and US store enriched uranium in Russia
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Russia proposes taking custody of Iran’s enriched uranium to help break nuclear negotiations deadlock.
- US rejects the plan, insisting only US custody of the material would be acceptable.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that both Iran and the United States transfer enriched uranium to Russian custody as part of an effort to resolve long-running tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program, according to details of the diplomatic initiative.
The proposal, first raised in June 2025 and reiterated in subsequent discussions through early 2026, is being presented by Moscow as a potential neutral arrangement to bridge deep disagreements between Washington and Tehran.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in April 2026 that the idea remains “on the table,” signaling continued Russian interest in acting as a storage intermediary.
Russia argues that it previously played a central role in managing Iran’s nuclear material under the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Moscow says that precedent demonstrates it has both the infrastructure and experience to oversee enriched uranium storage and verification processes.
Under current conditions, Iran is reported to possess about 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a level considered close to weapons-grade if further refined, according to nuclear monitoring assessments cited in the discussion.
The proposal has been firmly rejected by the United States. The Trump administration has insisted that any arrangement must place Iran’s nuclear material under direct US custody rather than through a third country.
Officials argue that outsourcing storage to Russia would not provide sufficient guarantees or verification mechanisms.
Washington’s position effectively rules out Moscow as a mediator in controlling Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
Iran has so far shown no willingness to transfer its enriched uranium directly to US control, while also resisting alternative custody arrangements involving third-party intermediaries.
The result is a stalemate, with Russia promoting a compromise model that neither side appears ready to accept.
The dispute reflects broader tensions in efforts to revive or replace the 2015 agreement, which collapsed after the US withdrawal in 2018 and subsequent escalation in regional nuclear activity.
