Rosatom CEO Says Russia Maintains Offer Regarding Iran’s Uranium

(SeaPRwire) –   Rosatom, the state nuclear corporation, is keeping a close watch on negotiations between the United States and Iran, according to CEO Aleksey Likhachev.

Russia is prepared to assist in relocating Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, stated Aleksey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom.

Iran’s atomic agenda continues to be a major obstacle in discussions with the United States. Former US President Donald Trump called for Iran to take apart its nuclear facilities and surrender its uranium, terms which Tehran has refused. Russia has frequently proposed to take custody of the material. Although Iran has indicated it might be receptive to this, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated recently that Washington had dismissed the offer.

In a Saturday interview published in the corporate outlet Strana Rosatom, Likhachev affirmed the corporation’s continued readiness to help. He emphasized that while the technical challenges of removal are significant, trust is fundamental to any agreement, and Russia can deliver on both fronts.

“Russia alone has a successful track record of cooperation with Iran. Back in 2015, we already removed enriched uranium at Iran’s request… We are prepared to help with this matter now as well,” he remarked, describing it as one of the most delicate issues in the dialogue.

Likhachev further noted that Rosatom—the company that built, operates, and partners on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant—is attentively observing the US-Iran talks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Iran possesses more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, a level just short of that used for weapons.

The US has insisted on the right to “take home” Iran’s uranium, enforce a prohibition on enrichment for two decades, and demolish crucial sites like Natanz and Fordow.

Tehran has dismissed these terms as unreasonable, countering with a proposal to dilute its uranium under IAEA supervision and agree to a temporary suspension of only about five years. Iran also rejects dismantling its installations and calls for the lifting of sanctions, access to its frozen funds, and assurances that the US will not abandon a future deal. It has further connected a possible accord to a wider regional truce.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei previously categorically rejected transferring the uranium to the US, equating it to “as sacred as Iranian soil.” On Saturday, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh reaffirmed Tehran’s stance, arguing that the US’s “maximalist” conditions regarding enriched uranium mean Iran is not prepared to resume negotiations with Washington.

“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to the US,” Khatibzadeh informed the Associated Press during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye. “This is a non-starter, and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are non-starters.”