Russia says ready to help resolve Iran’s nuclear program issue

ISTANBUL

The Kremlin on Wednesday said that Russia is ready to help resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, indicating the subject was addressed briefly during talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia.

“Since Iran is our ally, our partner, a country with which we are developing comprehensive, mutually beneficial, mutually respectful cooperation, Russia is ready to do everything possible for this. The United States knows about this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

“The Russian position is that this problem - Iran's nuclear dossier - must be resolved exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means. We believe that there is potential for this,” Peskov further said.

Noting that the topic was also briefly discussed during talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia last month, Peskov said Moscow expects separate discussions on the matter.

“In fact, this is what was proposed, to make this a separate area of ​​our dialogue, our consultations in the future,” the spokesman went on to say.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Russia agreed to help the current US administration in communicating with Iran on bilateral issues, including Tehran’s nuclear program, citing an anonymous White House official.

The report said that discussions on the matter are in their initial stages, and that it remains to be seen whether any such talks between the two countries would bring any progress.

In response to questions by Bloomberg on the same day, Peskov repeated Russia’s belief that the US and Iran should “resolve all problems through negotiations.”

Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals on Iran, vowing to reinstate “maximum pressure” while also calling to “immediately” pursue a “verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran.”

Last month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump is untrustworthy due to his withdrawal from the Obama-era nuclear deal and that Iran would not be forced into negotiations.

Meanwhile, under US sanctions, Russia and Iran have deepened trade, energy and security ties, with Russia widely using Iranian drones in Ukraine.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who backs the nuclear deal, pledged to follow Khamenei’s stance against US talks as long as sanctions remain.