Russia Denies US Claims of Supporting “Zero Enrichment” Iran Deal

By Staff, Agencies

Russia has rejected a recent report alleging that President Vladimir Putin encouraged Iran to accept a zero-enrichment deal with the United States, calling the claim “defamation.”

Russia's Foreign Ministry made the remarks in a statement on Sunday, a day after the American news website Axios, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reported that Putin had “encouraged” Iran to accept a nuclear deal that would exclude uranium enrichment.

The article “appears to be a new political defamation campaign aimed at exacerbating tensions around Iran’s nuclear program,” the ministry said.

“Invariably and repeatedly, we have emphasized the necessity of resolving the crisis concerning Iran’s nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means, and expressed our willingness to help find mutually acceptable solutions,” it added.

This comes as Iran has repeatedly stated that it will never accept an agreement that excludes its enrichment rights, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding Tehran's right to uranium enrichment in any nuclear negotiations.

Russia has long supported Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy, with Putin reaffirming Moscow’s commitment in June and offering assistance for Iran’s nuclear development for peaceful purposes.