Russia backs Iran on the nuclear issue, Putin says

Moscow is prepared to continue supporting Iran on the world’s stage, including Tehran’s nuclear issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Friday.

Speaking with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the International Peace and Trust Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday, Mr. Putin added that his diplomats are in constant contact with Iranian officials and that Russia’s representatives will continue to support Iran at the United Nations.

Mr. Pezeshkian thanked Mr. Putin for his continued diplomatic support for Iran on the nuclear issue, and he looked forward to the further implementation of the strategic cooperation agreement signed between the two nations in January.

“We are determined to operationalize the agreement we have signed, and we expect the Russian side to accelerate and finalize the implementation process,” Mr. Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian–Russian Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership contains 47 provisions that govern Iranian-Russian cooperation on technology, information sharing and the development of a peaceful nuclear energy program.

It is unclear if Russia plans to contribute materially to Iran’s efforts to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure, most of which was destroyed after a series of U.S. airstrikes in June. However, Russia was adamant that Iran should be allowed to maintain a peaceful nuclear program during Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with the U.S. earlier this year and in the wake of the return of U.N.-backed snapback sanctions.

Iran has maintained that it does not seek nuclear weapons and that its nuclear program is only for civilian purposes. However, U.S. leaders and atomic watchdog organizations have doubted Iran’s sincerity, pointing to the country’s high level of uranium enrichment, which is just a few steps away from weapons-grade.