April 15 (Reuters) – The Kremlin’s spokesman was quoted as saying on Wednesday that the United States had rejected its proposal that Russia take all of Iran’s enriched uranium out of the country as a way to help resolve the Middle East conflict.
Russia first proposed last June that it take control of Iran’s uranium stock, but no action was taken. According to news reports, Russia issued the proposal again this week.
“Russia was prepared to accept Iran’s enriched uranium on its territory,” state news agency RIA said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Indian television channel India Today.
“This would be a good decision. But unfortunately the American side rejected this proposal.”
U.S. news reports have quoted sources as saying that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had ruled out the proposal. For its part, Iran had said any decision would depend on whether it is able to reach an agreement with the U.S., including on its nuclear programme.
The U.S. has cited Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium — and the possibility it might be able to secure a nuclear weapon — as grounds for its attacks on Iran.
A Russian deputy foreign minister last year suggested Russia was willing to remove the stockpile from Iran and convert it to civilian reactor fuel to help facilitate negotiations.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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