Iran has put forward a revised peace proposal that would see its stockpile of enriched uranium shipped to Russia, bundled together with a ceasefire offer, a commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a freeze on its nuclear program.
Recent US-Iran negotiations have stalled badly, with one marathon 21-hour round ending without agreement. Russia stepped back into the frame almost immediately after that breakdown, reasserting its willingness to take custody of Iran’s uranium.
Russia’s role as nuclear middleman
Under the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement, a similar framework existed. Iran shipped a significant portion of its enriched uranium out of the country as part of that accord’s terms. The revised proposal essentially revives that playbook, but with Russia playing a more explicitly central role as both custodian and mediator.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have both signaled that Russia is prepared to accept the arrangement. Lavrov went further, confirming Russia’s readiness to reprocess Iran’s uranium into fuel-grade material. Critically, he framed this as respecting Iran’s enrichment rights.
