Iran has indicated that it may send some of its enriched uranium to a third country, such as Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US, Iranian, and regional diplomats.
Iranian officials also suggested that they might pause enrichment for up to three years and floated a proposal to set up a regional consortium to produce fuel plates from enriched uranium for domestic use, according to the report. Teams from the US and Iran met for Omani-mediated talks in Geneva on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed this month that Moscow was ready to accept uranium from Iran if Tehran approved. “The initiative remains on the table. At the same time, we must remember that the stockpile belongs to Iran,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear program and hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, a proposal Tehran has rejected. Iranian officials insist that uranium enrichment is the country’s sovereign right and insist it is for civilian purposes only.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after Tuesday’s talks that although the sides had reached “understandings on the guiding principles,” drafting a formal agreement would be “more difficult.”
US Vice President J.D. Vance told Nox News that the talks were a positive step, but noted that “it was also very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”
The US has dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Middle East in recent weeks, with Trump hinting at a potential attack on Iran. In response, the Islamic Republic conducted snap live-fire drills and warned that its military would target US bases in the region if attacked.
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