Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has declared its readiness to assist in the transfer of enriched uranium from Iran, as the question of Tehran’s nuclear stockpile remains the most contentious and unresolved issue in ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The announcement was made on Saturday by Rosatom Chief Executive Alexey Likhachev in an interview with the Strana Rosatom newspaper.
“During the [US-Iran] negotiations, the issue of removing Iranian enriched uranium continues to remain a key and painful question… And here only Russia has positive experience of cooperation with Iran. In 2015, at the request from Iran, we already transported enriched uranium from Iran. We are ready to assist with this issue today as well,” Likhachev stated, underscoring Moscow’s unique diplomatic and technical credentials in this domain.
The declaration follows remarks made by US President Donald Trump on Friday, in which he indicated that Washington intends to recover Iran’s enriched uranium jointly with Tehran and repatriate it to the United States. The proposal has placed the disposition of Iran’s nuclear material at the very heart of the diplomatic process, with multiple parties now positioning themselves as potential facilitators.
Likhachev further noted that Rosatom is closely monitoring the trajectory of the US-Iran talks, as well as the public statements emanating from the White House. He highlighted that Trump’s assertion — that Iran had been weeks away from acquiring nuclear weapons — served as the primary justification cited for launching military operations against Iran, a claim that has significantly raised the stakes of the current diplomatic engagement.
Despite the charged atmosphere, the Rosatom chief expressed a measured and constructive outlook. “In any case, we will welcome any agreements between the conflict sides that will lead to the cessation of armed confrontation,” Likhachev said, signalling Moscow’s broader interest in regional de-escalation and a negotiated resolution to the crisis.
Russia’s offer carries considerable weight given its established precedent: in 2015, under the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Rosatom successfully facilitated the removal of a substantial portion of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile — a logistical and diplomatic achievement that no other nation has replicated. As the current round of talks between Washington and Tehran continues to navigate deeply sensitive technical and political terrain, Moscow’s renewed offer positions Russia as an indispensable actor in any prospective nuclear settlement.
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