Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a speech. [AFP=Yonhap News]

Russian President Putin's remarks on "storing enriched uranium from Iran" are an important signal in understanding the US-Iran negotiations.

Although it appears on the surface as Russia's offer to mediate, it actually indicates that the focus of the negotiations is shifting from a simple ceasefire to the issue of handling nuclear materials.

Russia is a country that has maintained a strategic cooperative relationship with Iran. From Iran's perspective, directly handing over nuclear materials to the US could be seen as actual surrender.

However, storage by Russia is different. Iran can save face, and the US can explain that the nuclear materials have been removed from Iranian territory or placed under its control.

For this reason, the option of storage by Russia can serve as a political exit for both the US and Iran.

Al Jazeera reported on the 10th that President Putin expressed Russia's willingness to oversee the transfer and storage of Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles.

Reuters had previously reported that the Kremlin had proposed a plan to export Iran's enriched uranium to Russia for storage, but the US rejected it. At the time, the Kremlin explained that Russia was prepared to receive Iran's enriched uranium on its territory.

The significance of these remarks lies in the fact that storing stockpiles is difficult to achieve without freezing enrichment.

Even if Iran entrusts its already acquired enriched uranium to Russia, the US's negotiations would lose their effectiveness if Iran continues to enrich uranium.

Ultimately, the public mention of a plan to handle stockpiles suggests that not only the export and storage of existing nuclear materials, but also the issue of a moratorium on enrichment or freezing production for a certain period are being discussed.

The US's objective is relatively clear.

It aims to prevent Iran's immediate nuclear armament, restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and reduce the burden of a prolonged war.

Reuters reported that the US and Iran are approaching a one-page Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to officially end the war, and that a structure for discussing the resumption of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions on Iran, and the limitation of Iran's nuclear program is being considered.

Iran is also in a situation where it cannot afford to drag things out indefinitely.

The longer the war continues, the greater the military and economic burden. However, it is highly likely that Iran will try to avoid handing over nuclear materials directly to the US or unilaterally abandoning its nuclear program.

Therefore, storage by Russia is an exit that allows Iran to save face, and a compromise that provides the US with the tangible achievement of controlling nuclear materials.

Recent trends are increasing the likelihood of an MOU agreement.

Reuters, citing Iran's official IRNA news agency, reported that Iran has delivered its response to the US's proposal to end the war to Pakistan, the mediator.

Furthermore, sources from both sides indicated that recent peace efforts are aimed at a provisional MOU that would halt the war and allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with more comprehensive agreements to address thorny issues such as Iran's nuclear program to follow.

The US political calendar is also a variable.

US President Trump is facing the burden of a prolonged war. Reuters reported that recent clashes between the US and Iran were the most serious conflicts testing a ceasefire, and analyzed that the war is placing a burden on President Trump's base, who had pledged to reduce overseas military interventions.

The Guardian also reported that President Trump is scheduled to visit China and hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ahead of US-China diplomatic engagement, the US needs to keep the Iran war at least at a manageable level.

Therefore, it is accurate to view the current phase as an "increase in the possibility of an initial MOU agreement" rather than "an impending final nuclear agreement."

The US wants a framework for handling nuclear materials and a suspension of enrichment, while Iran wants a mediating structure that allows it to save face. Russia can step in as a custodian and mediator in between. The interests of these three parties are temporarily aligned.

Of course, excessive interpretation is not advised.

It is not yet the stage to conclude that Iran has officially agreed to freeze enrichment or accepted the export of all enriched uranium. What is currently confirmed is Iran's delivery of a response to the US proposal, discussions on a provisional MOU, and the re-emergence of the storage option by Russia.

However, the fact that these three developments are occurring simultaneously is strong evidence that the negotiations are not stalled.

In conclusion, President Putin's remarks are not mere diplomatic rhetoric. Storing stockpiles is of little significance without freezing enrichment.

Therefore, the re-emergence of the storage option by Russia suggests that US-Iran negotiations have already entered a concrete exchange phase involving the location of nuclear materials, the duration of production freezing, the order of sanctions relief, and the restoration of passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

An agreement between the US and Iran is not yet complete. However, the possibility of reaching an initial MOU to stop the war and link nuclear material handling with subsequent nuclear negotiations has at least increased. President Putin's remarks are the most concrete signal of that possibility.

Putin's "uranium storage" remarks are proof that US-Iran nuclear negotiations are not remaining in a fog. While fog still remains, the negotiation line is clearly moving in the direction of nuclear material handling and enrichment freezing.