Putin ‘tells Iran to accept nuclear deal with no enrichment’
Story by Harriet Barber •
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, in Moscow last month - Alexander
Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Vladimir Putin has told Iran to accept a US nuclear deal that would ban it from enriching uranium, according to reports.
For years, Moscow has been the Islamic republic’s most prominent diplomatic ally, consistently backing its right to process radioactive materials.
However, the Russian president has conveyed both to Iranian leaders and to Donald Trump that he now supports a deal with zero enrichment, the Axios news site reported.
A European official told the site: “Putin would support zero enrichment. He encouraged the Iranians to work towards that in order to make negotiations with the Americans more favourable. The Iranians said they won’t consider it.”
Putin was also reported to have expressed this position in phone conversations last week with Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, views a display of uranium enrichment centrifuges in Tehran earlier this year - AP
Furthermore, Russian officials were reported to have briefed the Israeli government about Putin’s stance. A senior Israeli official was quoted as saying: “We know that this is what Putin told the Iranians.”
However, Tasnim, Iran’s semi-official news agency, denied the claim, quoting an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any messages to Iran in this regard.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not give up enriching uranium, a process used to make fuel for nuclear power plants, but which can also yield material for an atomic warhead.
In June, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said abandoning uranium enrichment was “100 per cent” against the country’s interests.
Recent Israeli and US air strikes seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and Mr Trump has since made clear that he wants a new nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.
In May, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said Iran had to “walk away” from uranium enrichment, while multiple sources told Axios that zero uranium enrichment on Iranian soil would be a central American demand in any future negotiations.
Putin’s reported intervention comes after Iranian officials were reportedly disappointed with the Russian response to Tehran’s 12-day war with Israel, which involved press statements but little else.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, in Moscow last month - Alexander
Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Vladimir Putin has told Iran to accept a US nuclear deal that would ban it from enriching uranium, according to reports.
For years, Moscow has been the Islamic republic’s most prominent diplomatic ally, consistently backing its right to process radioactive materials.
However the Russian president has conveyed both to Iranian leaders and to Donald Trump that he now supports a deal with zero enrichment, the Axios news site reported.
A European official told the site: “Putin would support zero enrichment. He encouraged the Iranians to work towards that in order to make negotiations with the Americans more favourable. The Iranians said they won’t consider it.”
Putin was also reported to have expressed this position in phone conversations last week with Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, views a display of uranium enrichment centrifuges in Tehran earlier this year - AP
Furthermore, Russian officials were reported to have briefed the Israeli government about Putin’s stance. A senior Israeli official was quoted as saying: “We know that this is what Putin told the Iranians.”
However, Tasnim, Iran’s semi-official news agency, denied the claim, quoting an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any messages to Iran in this regard.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not give up enriching uranium, a process used to make fuel for nuclear power plants, but which can also yield material for an atomic warhead.
In June, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said abandoning uranium enrichment was “100 per cent” against the country’s interests. Recent Israeli and US air strikes seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and Mr Trump has since made clear that he wants a new nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.
In May, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said Iran had to “walk away” from uranium enrichment, while multiple sources told Axios that zero uranium enrichment on Iranian soil would be a central American demand in any future negotiations.
Putin’s reported intervention comes after Iranian officials were reportedly disappointed with the Russian response to Tehran’s 12-day war with Israel, which involved press statements but little else.
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