Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has emphasized that the material’s presence in the Islamic Republic does not breach any existing agreements.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Moscow is prepared to accept Iran’s remaining enriched uranium.
“It is crucial to recognize that these stockpiles are Iranian property. Their existence fully aligns with Tehran’s commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Zakharova asserted during a Wednesday briefing, according to Kommersant.
She further stated that Tehran possesses complete rights over the material, including the authority to decide on its removal from Iranian territory and its export destination.
This declaration emerges amidst global endeavors to de-escalate the ongoing crisis between Tehran and Washington. In recent weeks, Washington has deployed supplementary air defense systems, such as Patriot and THAAD batteries, to various Middle Eastern bases, and dispatched a naval ‘armada’ spearheaded by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea.
Concurrently, Washington has indicated that while the immediate risk of military engagement has lessened, the US maintains its capability to react if necessary. Key US demands involve capping uranium enrichment and imposing constraints on Iran’s ballistic missile development. Iran consistently asserts that its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes.
According to a Monday report by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, the probability of an immediate US military strike on Tehran has decreased, with diplomacy gaining renewed momentum following extensive mediation efforts, notably from Russia, Türkiye, and Qatar.
Moscow initially proposed transferring enriched uranium from Iran last summer, offering to remove, reprocess, and subsequently return it to Iran’s nuclear installations. Russia communicated this proposal to Iran, the US, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nevertheless, Iranian authorities did not issue a definitive public reply.
In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed Russia’s continued readiness to assist in preventing an escalation between the United States and Iran.