Kazakhstan can accept Iranian uranium reserves - IAEA head

Kazakhstan has signaled that it is ready to accept Iran's uranium reserves if Washington and Tehran reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, told the Financial Times newspaper.

According to Grossi, this readiness was expressed during his meeting with the Kazakhstani leadership this week. Kazakhstan's Ust-Kamenogorsk is home to a bank of low-enriched uranium controlled by the agency - a reserve stockpile for IAEA countries for emergencies. Therefore, Kazakhstan "has a place where it (Iranian uranium - Oninvest's note) can be safely housed," Grossi said. This "may be" acceptable to both the U.S. and Iran, the IAEA chief said.

Kazakhstan's presidential administration, foreign ministry and energy ministry did not respond to FT requests for comment.

The fate of Iran's uranium stockpile remains one of the most pressing issues in Washington and Tehran's negotiations to end the war, the FT notes. Under the rubble of Iran's three key nuclear sites - Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan - which the US bombed in June 2025, there are believed to be 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%. Enriching such a quantity to 90% would make it possible to produce about 10 weapons, the newspaper said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 29 that highly enriched uranium should be extracted by the U.S. from underground and destroyed.

Tehran has publicly signaled that it has no intention of transferring its stockpile abroad. However, a potential agreement would include a commitment to discuss either the dilution of enriched uranium or its relocation, FT sources say.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor