Iran Says Uranium Transfer to Russia Will Be Discussed 'At a Later Stage'

Ending the war is Iran's immediate priority, and any discussion of transferring its uranium stockpiles to Russia will take place "at the appropriate time and when the conditions are suitable," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Monday. The comments came in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent offer to help move Iran's enriched uranium.

Baghaei stressed that Tehran's current focus is on "the immediacy of ending the war in all its aspects, including regarding Lebanon, in addition to ensuring the security of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz." He added that sensitive files are handled within their own specific contexts.

The spokesman outlined a precondition for addressing the current situation: a halt to what he described as "illegal activities and American maritime piracy operations against commercial ships." He called for focusing on these priorities rather than raising issues that, he said, have previously caused wars.

In a separate statement, Baghaei emphasized that Iran participates in diplomatic channels "in good faith" but reserves the right to use force or diplomacy as its national interests dictate. "The satisfaction of other parties is not a criterion for Tehran," he said.

He argued that experience has shown "the United States has not abided by any of its commitments over the past decades," pointing to Washington's 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal and what he termed its "targeting of the negotiation path."

Regarding American threats to use nuclear weapons, Baghaei said "these statements violate international law," adding that "Iran is capable of defending itself in all circumstances and will not be affected by these threats."

Baghaei also criticized International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi's remarks on Iran's nuclear program, calling them "a departure from the agency's technical tasks." He said such positions are "unprofessional and do not serve the credibility of the IAEA," asking rhetorically: "Was it supposed to be that Iran's nuclear facilities be destroyed by means other than war, so that it could be said they were not destroyed even in war?"

Any politicization of the agency's work would harm its role and credibility, Baghaei warned. He stressed that "restoring the agency's credibility requires condemning the illegal actions that Iran's nuclear facilities are subjected to by the United States and Israel."

The spokesman added that attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities have disrupted inspection and monitoring operations, calling on the IAEA director general to "pay attention to these facts instead of issuing unbalanced positions."