Lavrov: Uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes is Iran's right
Tehran - BORNA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday during a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Equatorial Guinea that Russia will always support any solution that the U.S. and Iran are prepared to accept in the ongoing diplomatic process.
"Russia has received no serious proposals regarding ending the war between Iran and the U.S. and does not intend to interfere in this negotiation process. We wish it success," Lavrov said.
He added: "Russia will support any agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran."
Lavrov also noted that due to the situation that has arisen in the Persian Gulf and around Iran, which is a matter of deep concern, the Palestinian issue has been overshadowed.
Lavrov's remarks come amidst the exchange of proposals between Tehran and Washington to reach a negotiating framework mediated by Pakistan. Recently, Iran's new 14-point proposal, which is an amendment to the previous text proposed by the U.S., was presented to Pakistan.
The first round of direct talks between the two sides to end the war on April 12 failed to yield results.
The excessive demands of the U.S. regarding Iran's nuclear program are among the obstacles to advancing these negotiations. Iran's proposals so far have focused on ending the war and confidence-building measures by the U.S., with a preference to address nuclear issues—emphasizing the preservation of the right to enrich uranium—within a specific timeframe after the conclusion of the war.
The RIA Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying: "Iran, as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), must enjoy all the rights that other members have, without any requirements or demands. Iran fully has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes."
The issue of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant concerns only Russia and Iran
The Russian Foreign Minister stated that the issue of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant concerns only Russia and Iran, as this facility has never been subject to any sanctions.
"Regarding the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, this facility has never been subject to any sanctions. This plant was exempted from the 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear program (JCPOA), and this matter affects no one except the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister also provided an update on the progress of the modernization project, adding: "This project is underway, and additional power units are under construction."
Alexey Likhachev, the CEO of Rosatom, recently stated that following the bombings around the plant during the U.S.-Israeli aggression, a certain number of personnel are returning to neighboring countries.
Ukraine Peace Talks
Regarding developments in the Ukraine peace talks, which have been deadlocked since February 2026, the Russian Foreign Minister stated: "The position of European radicals, neo-liberals, and neo-Nazis, along with the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky [the President of Ukraine], is to prevent the plans being drafted by the U.S."
The Ukraine negotiations, held in Geneva in February 2026 concurrently with the Tehran-Washington talks mediated by an American delegation, yielded no results. Since then, while expressing a desire to reach a peaceful solution to the war, both sides accuse each other of lacking the political will necessary to advance a peace agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently commented on the status of the peace talks, saying: "The U.S. remains willing to play a mediating role in resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, even though efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict appear to have stalled."
He continued: "If no progress is observed in the Ukraine negotiations, the U.S. will not spend time and energy on resolving the Ukraine conflict."
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