President Pezeshkian Reaffirms Iran’s Opposition to Nuclear Weapons in Call with Putin
Tehran, The Gulf Observer: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday reiterated that Iran has never sought, nor will it ever seek, nuclear weapons, during a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran’s nuclear policy is rooted in religious beliefs and defensive principles, thanking Moscow for its consistent support of Tehran’s right to enrich uranium. “Iran, based on its beliefs and defensive doctrine, has never sought, is not seeking, and will never seek to build nuclear weapons,” he stressed.
For his part, President Putin described relations with Iran as “constructive and steadily improving,” noting that bilateral trade had increased by 11% in the first half of the year. He highlighted progress on key joint initiatives, including the Rasht-Astara railway, and reported that cooperation on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was advancing, with new fuel supplies being delivered on schedule.
Putin reaffirmed that Moscow considers Iran’s right to uranium enrichment as “fundamental and unquestionable” and expressed hope that ongoing talks related to UN Security Council Resolution 2231 would yield satisfactory results.
The Russian leader also briefed Pezeshkian on his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, saying the discussions had focused entirely on the Ukraine conflict. Putin said “good results” were achieved, which, if implemented, could help bring the war to an end.
Pezeshkian welcomed the outcome of the Alaska talks, voicing optimism that the agreements could pave the way for peace in Ukraine. He also informed Putin of his recent visit to Armenia, noting that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had assured him that both Iran’s and Russia’s concerns were taken into account in Yerevan’s negotiations with Azerbaijan and the United States.
The Iranian president further underscored the importance of the “3+3” regional dialogue format, involving Iran, Russia, and neighboring states, as the most effective mechanism for addressing security challenges in the Caucasus.
