Moscow is signaling that it could support efforts to reach peace between the U.S. and Iran in ways other than diplomatic.
“We are ready to provide assistance to both Washington and Tehran, not only politically, not only in the form of ideas that could be of use in the negotiation process, but also practically: for example, through the export of excess nuclear material produced by Iran and its subsequent adaptation to the production of fuel for reactors,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on June 11, Reuters reports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed the offer: “Here it is very important to say that if necessary, if the parties deem it necessary, Russia will be ready to provide such services.”
Such highly enriched uranium could be reprocessed for use in civilian nuclear reactors for power or medical isotopes. While Iran would not accept such an arrangement from a Western country, will it consider the Russian offer in light of President Trump’s continued insistence that Iran must end all enrichment? It is possible that Russia’s offer could be the way out of an otherwise impossible situation.