Yasin Gungor
16 April 2026•Update: 16 April 2026
Russia proposed taking possession of Iran's highly enriched uranium as a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict, but Washington turned the offer down, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told India Today on Wednesday.
Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had put forward the proposal some time ago, describing it as "a very good solution" that the American side ultimately rejected. He added that Putin remained willing to revisit the idea if the countries involved requested it.
The removal of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is one of Washington's core demands in negotiations to permanently end the war that began on Feb. 28. Much of the material, estimated at around 450 kilograms enriched to 60%, lies buried under nuclear sites already struck during the US-Israeli offensive. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran will hand over the stockpile voluntarily or the US will take it by other means.
Peskov also pushed back on the justification for the war, saying the International Atomic Energy Agency never found evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon, and that the allegation had been used "as a pretext for aggression."
Asked whether Russia was providing military intelligence or logistical support to Iran, Peskov denied any involvement. "Russia is not taking part in this. It is not our war," he said.
According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Moscow was providing military assistance to Iran "in many different directions," without specifying whether that included intelligence about US forces.
US envoy Steve Witkoff earlier said Putin personally assured US counterpart Donald Trump that Russia was not sharing intelligence with Iran.
Regarding Hungary following Viktor Orban's electoral defeat, Peskov said Orban had never been a Russian ally but noted he was willing to maintain dialogue, and that Moscow did not yet know whether his successor Peter Magyar would do the same.
Addressing US actions in Latin America, Peskov said Russia "would not like to see any country invading Cuba," noting it is "not acceptable."
