Russia rejects claims of pushing Iran towards 'zero enrichment' deal

MOSCOW: Russia’s foreign ministry on Sunday strongly denied reports suggesting President Vladimir Putin had urged Iran to accept a “zero enrichment” nuclear deal, calling the allegations baseless and defamatory.

The allegation, reported by US news outlet Axios based on three anonymous sources, suggested that Putin urged Tehran to agree to terms preventing uranium enrichment amid escalating tensions.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the article "appears to be a new political defamation campaign aimed at exacerbating tensions around Iran's nuclear programme".

"Invariably and repeatedly, we have emphasised the necessity of resolving the crisis concerning Iran's nuclear programme exclusively through political and diplomatic means, and expressed our willingness to help find mutually acceptable solutions," the statement read.

Western nations and Israel accuse Tehran of aiming to develop an atomic bomb, a claim Iran vehemently denies, asserting its "non-negotiable" right to develop a civilian nuclear programme.

Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran's clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran, but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel's bombing campaign in June.

Publicly, Moscow has defended Tehran's right to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes, but in recent months, Putin has also drawn closer to US President Donald Trump.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran, triggering a 12-day war.

The conflict halted negotiations initiated in April between Tehran and Washington to frame Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Iran.

On June 22, the United States bombed the underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo, south of Tehran, and nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz. The exact extent of the damage is not known.