Kazakhstan offers to store Iran’s uranium stockpile under potential nuclear deal

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London: Kazakhstan has offered to take custody of Iran’s uranium stockpile if the United States and Iran strike an agreement on Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chairman Rafael Grossi told the Financial Times. The request was made following Grossi's meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana this week.

Kazakhstan has stated that it would be willing to keep Iran's stockpile of uranium that has been refined to 60 percent purity, which is nearly weapons-grade. One of the main points of dispute in the continuing negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran's nuclear operations is the estimated 440-kilogram stockpile.

US President Donald Trump has insisted that Iran shouldn't be allowed to develop a nuclear bomb, and he has advocated for the enriched uranium to be removed or nutralised under international supervision. Meanwhile, Iran defends its right to a civilian nuclear project and has refused to export the material overseas.

Kazakhstan is seen as a feasible option because it already has an IAEA-controlled minimally enriched uranium bank aimed to support civilian nuclear programs and prevent nuclear proliferation. Grossi stated that the Central Asian nation has expressed ‘openness’ to holding the Iranian stockpile if a broader nuclear deal is negotiated.