MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Moscow is still open to the idea of storing Iranian uranium in Russia, but with the outbreak of new fighting with Israel, an added layer of complexity has emerged in the situation with Iran’s nuclear program, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing.
His remarks came in response to a question about possible Russian initiatives to help de-escalate tensions and steer the situation toward a peaceful resolution. Previous reports have suggested that Russia might take custody of Iran’s uranium stockpile.
"This proposal remains on the table and is still relevant," Peskov noted. "However, the situation has become much more complicated with the onset of hostilities," he added.
Peskov noted that the recent outbreak of fighting occurred just before the anticipated next round of Oman-mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States.
"Russia remains ready to do whatever is necessary to address the root causes of this crisis," Peskov said, referring to the Iranian nuclear issue. "The situation has escalated sharply - and, of course, this has only made matters worse," he added.
New Middle East crisis
Overnight into June 13, Israel kicked off Operation Rising Lion aimed against Iran’s nuclear program. The Israel Defense Forces said that 200 fighter jets attacked more than 100 targets in Iran, including nuclear facilities.
On the evening of June 13, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Iran retaliated by attacking dozens of targets in Israel with missiles, including military facilities and air bases, striking, in particular, the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. Israel said some targets were hit but most of the missiles were intercepted.
In 2015, Tehran and global powers Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Germany and France, reached an agreement to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and adopted the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The treaty marked an end of the crisis that began in 2004 when Western countries accused Tehran of developing nuclear weapons. It provided for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the republic over its nuclear program by the UN Security Council, the United States and the European Union. In return, Tehran pledged to limit its nuclear activities and place them under international control.
Under the JCPOA, Iran is allowed to produce low-enriched uranium with a limit of 300 kilograms, as well as heavy water not exceeding 130 tons, and to send any surplus accumulated above these levels to other countries for sale or storage.
US leader Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement during his first term as president. His successor Joe Biden repeatedly said he was ready to bring the country back into the nuclear deal during his presidency. The Six had been negotiating with Iran since April 2021 to restore the JCPOA to its original format, but they failed to reach a deal.
After Trump's return to the White House, Washington began new rounds of talks with Tehran on Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, Trump said that he was ready to resort to force if the republic refused the deal.