Alexey Likhachev says state nuclear corporation Rosatom is closely following US-Iran talks
Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, has said that Russia is ready to help Iran remove its enriched uranium reserves.
Tehran’s nuclear program remains a significant obstacle to negotiations with Washington. US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear infrastructure and hand over its uranium, a proposal that Tehran has rejected. Moscow has repeatedly offered to host content. While Iran has signaled openness to such an idea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the US rejected it.
In an interview with corporate newspaper Strana Rosatom released Saturday, Likhachev said the company is ready to assist, stressing that beyond the technical complexity of removing the reserves, trust is central to any deal – and Russia can provide both.
“Only Russia has positive experience of interacting with Iran. In 2015, at Iran’s request, we already removed enriched uranium… We are ready to assist on this issue even today.” He said this was one of the most sensitive aspects of the talks.
Likhachev said Rosatom – the manufacturer and operator and partner of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant – is closely following the US-Iran talks.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is estimated to have more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, just below weapons-grade levels.
Washington has demanded “take home” A 20-year ban would be imposed on Iran’s uranium enrichment and key sites such as Natanz and Fordow would be destroyed.
Tehran has rejected the proposals as excessive, instead offering to accept a limited freeze on depleting its uranium under IAEA supervision and lasting about five years. It also opposed the destruction of facilities and sought sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, and a guarantee that the US would not again pull out of any deal, linking the potential agreement to a broader regional ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai had earlier firmly refused to hand over the stockpile to Washington. “As sacred as Iranian soil.” Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh reiterated Tehran’s position on Saturday, stressing that Tehran is not ready for fresh talks with Washington. “Maximalist” demand for enriched uranium
“I can tell you that no enriched material will be sent to America.” Khatibzadeh told the AP on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. “This is a non-starter, and I can assure you that although we are ready to address any concerns you have, we will not accept things that are non-starters.”
You can share this story on social media:
