Russia ready to support Iran’s peaceful nuclear development: Putin
Russia warns US against military action on Iran
IAEA chief denies Iran building nuclear weapons
MOSCOW: Kremlin says Russia, China agree Iran-Israel war must end through political and diplomatic means only
Russia’s foreign ministry on Thursday warned the United States not to take military action against Iran, amid speculation over whether Washington will enter the war alongside Israel.
Moscow issued its warning after Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a phone call condemned Israeli attacks on Iran and urged a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Israel launched an unprecedented wave of strikes at Iran last week, to which Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks.
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday he was considering whether to join Israel’s strikes. “I may do it, I may not do it,” he said.
Russian foreign ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters: “We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation.”
Any US military action “would be an extremely dangerous step with truly unpredictable negative consequences,” she added.
Earlier on Thursday, following the leaders’ call, the Kremlin said Putin and Xi “strongly condemn Israel’s actions.”
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Moscow and Beijing believed the end to the hostilities “should be achieved exclusively by political and diplomatic means.”
Russia ready to support Iran’s peaceful nuclear development: Putin
Russia is prepared to support Iran’s peaceful nuclear development while addressing Israel’s security concerns, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during a meeting with the heads of leading global news agencies in St. Petersburg.
Without disclosing specifics, Putin confirmed that Russia has engaged in detailed discussions on this issue with both Israeli and U.S. officials, and has communicated proposals to its Iranian counterparts.
“In general, it is possible to meet Iran’s interests in peaceful nuclear energy and at the same time address Israel’s concerns about its national security,” he said.
Putin noted that Russia has proposed a “possible solution” to the ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities, but stressed that the final decision rests with the political leadership of the countries involved.
Putin said that a high level of trust between Russia and Iran allows for productive cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technologies, including applications in agriculture and medicine.
Putin said that a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Iran was possible, and that Israel’s strikes on Iran had led to a “consolidation” of Iranian society around its leadership. He added that he did “not even wish to discuss” the idea Israel might assassinate Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We see that today in Iran there is a consolidation of society around the country’s political leadership,” Putin told foreign journalists. “This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found,” he added.
Putin said such an agreement could guarantee both Israel’s security and Iran’s desire for a civilian nuclear programme. “I believe it would be good for all of us together to look for ways to stop the fighting and seek ways for the participants in the conflict to find an agreement,” he said.
Putin also recalled Russia’s long-standing involvement in Iran’s civilian nuclear program, including the completion of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Originally designed by German firms, the project was later completed by Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.
“It was a challenge, because we had to adapt the German design to Russian standards. But we succeeded, and the plant is operating successfully,” Putin said.
He confirmed that Russia has signed contracts to build two additional reactor units at Bushehr, with over 200 Russian specialists currently working on-site. He added that Moscow has reached an agreement with Israeli authorities to ensure safety during ongoing construction efforts.
Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated on June 13 when Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes. Both sides reported casualties as the exchange of attacks continued in the following days.
IAEA chief denies Iran building nuclear weapons
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has clarified that Iran is not attempting to build nuclear weapons, putting to rest long-standing global concerns.
Speaking to the media, Grossi stated, “We have never said that Iran is making nuclear weapons.”
He added that although there were suspicions over Iran’s enrichment of uranium up to 60%, there is no evidence of a weapons program.
His statement comes in the wake of rising regional tensions and follows remarks by Tulsi Gabbard, a former US intelligence official, who also cleared Iran of any nuclear arms activity.
Grossi’s comments further affirm that the IAEA has not found Iran violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty in a manner that would indicate a nuclear weapons agenda.–NNI
