Trump Rejects Putin Proposal to Move Iran’s 450 kg Uranium Stockpile to Russia: Report

New Delhi: According to a report by Axios, US President Donald Trump has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to transfer Iran's enriched uranium stockpile to Russia as part of a potential agreement to ease Middle East tensions.

According to the report, the two leaders discussed methods to resolve the existing tensions between the United States and Iran over the phone earlier this week when the notion was brought up. Putin proposed sending Iran's enriched uranium to Russia as a potential de-escalation measure.

However, the report said Trump turned down the idea. According to reports, the US government is still committed to making sure Iran's uranium stockpile is completely protected.

Iran’s Uranium Stockpile Emerges as Major Flashpoint

According to reports, one of the primary causes of the conflict has been the disagreement over Iran's approximately 450 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium.

The material is thought to be enough to make over ten nuclear bombs and could be transformed into weapons-grade uranium in a matter of weeks, according to sources. Securing or neutralizing the stockpile has therefore become a major goal for both the United States and Israel, reports said.

Russia Seen as a Possible Storage Option

Reports said Russia was viewed a possible destination for the uranium because it is among the few nuclear-armed nations with the technical capability to safely store such material.

Iran's low-enriched uranium had previously been kept by Russia as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear deal between Iran and international powers.

The plan itself was not wholly novel, according to the Axios story. Similar concerns had been brought up by Russia both in the weeks prior to the start of the present conflict and during US-Iran nuclear negotiations in May.

Putin Offers Mediation as Tensions Rise

According to the Kremlin, Putin had already offered Russia's assistance in easing tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Kremlin, stated that Russia is prepared to help reduce tensions but emphasized that multiple parties would need to work together.

"President Putin, from the very beginning of this story, before the start of the combat phase, offered various options for our mediation and our services that could help reduce tensions," Peskov told reporters.  

“From the very beginning of this situation, even before ⁠the military phase began, President Putin has proposed various options for our mediation and good offices that could help reduce tensions. Many of these ‌proposals are still on the table,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“Russia is ready to assist ‌to the best of its ability and will be ‌happy ⁠to do so, but you know that this ⁠requires multiple understandings and multiple agreements, so we’ll have to be a little patient.”

Peskov also said that Putin conveyed his proposals regarding a possible settlement involving Iran during a phone call with Trump on Monday, though he did not provide further details.

Trump-Putin Call Amid Escalating War in Middle East

According to the Kremlin, Trump spoke with Putin on the phone for the first time this year on 10th March. "I had a very good call with President Putin," Trump said during a press conference at his Florida golf club, adding that Putin wants to be helpful on Iran. The topics of discussion included the conflict involving Iran, the war in Ukraine, and developments in global energy markets.

"You could be more helpful by ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. That will be more beneficial" Trump added. 

The discussion was "very substantial," according to Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy advisor, and "likely to have practical significance for further work between the two countries."

According to Ushakov, Trump thought it would be beneficial for the US to see a "rapid end to the conflict in Ukraine with a ceasefire and a long-term settlement".

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