Russia on Sunday vehemently rejected reports claiming President Vladimir Putin encouraged Iran to accept a “zero enrichment” nuclear deal, as Russian foreign ministry labelling these claims as “defamation”, and emphasizing that such reports aim to escalate tensions.
US news outlet Axios reported Saturday, citing anonymous sources, that Putin encouraged Iran to accept a deal preventing uranium enrichment. However, Russia called this article “a new political defamation campaign” designed to worsen tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
Diplomatic Solutions Emphasized
Russia consistently stresses the need to resolve Iran’s nuclear crisis through political and diplomatic means, as Moscow also expressed its willingness to help find mutually acceptable solutions. Western nations and Israel suspect Tehran seeks to develop an atomic bomb; Iran denies this, defending its “non-negotiable” right to a civilian nuclear program.
Moscow maintains a cordial relationship with Iran’s leadership and offers crucial support. Yet, Russia did not forcefully back Iran after the United States joined Israel’s bombing campaign in June. Publicly, Moscow defends Tehran’s right to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes. Nevertheless, Putin has also recently grown closer to US President Donald Trump.
On 13 June, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, sparking a 12-day war which halted April negotiations between Tehran and Washington to frame Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Furthermore, on 22 June, the US bombed the underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo, near Tehran, and nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz, with the precise extent of the damage remains unknown.
