President Masoud Pezeshkian told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Monday that Tehran has never sought, nor will it seek, nuclear weapons, reiterating Iran’s long-standing position on its nuclear program.
Pezeshkian thanked Moscow for backing Iran’s right to enrich uranium, saying the country’s nuclear policy was rooted in religious and defensive principles. “Iran, based on its beliefs and defensive doctrine, has never sought, is not seeking, and will never seek to build nuclear weapons,” he said.
Putin described relations with Iran as “constructive and steadily improving,” noting that bilateral trade had grown 11% in the first half of the year and that cooperation on major projects, including the Rasht-Astara railway, was advancing.
Russia’s president also highlighted progress in joint work at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, saying new fuel supplies were being delivered on schedule. He stressed that Moscow considered Iran’s right to enrich uranium fundamental and unquestionable, and expressed hope that talks over the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231 would reach a satisfactory outcome.
Putin also briefed Pezeshkian on his recent talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. The Russian leader said the discussions had focused entirely on Ukraine and that good results had been achieved, which could help resolve the conflict if fully implemented, IRNA reported.
Pezeshkian voiced optimism that agreements in Alaska could soon bring an end to the war in Ukraine. He also briefed Putin on his recent trip to Armenia, saying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had assured him that Iran and Russia’s concerns were taken into account in Yerevan’s latest negotiations with Azerbaijan and the United States.
Pezeshkian added that the “3+3” regional dialogue format involving Iran, Russia, and their neighbors remained the most effective mechanism for addressing security issues in the Caucasus.
