Iran has denied a report published by Axios on Saturday that claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin had conveyed a message to Iranian officials urging them to abandon their nuclear enrichment program.
According to the Axios report, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Putin had recently spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, allegedly signaling Russia’s willingness to remove Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the reported plan, Russia would instead supply Iran with low-enriched uranium—at levels of 3.67% for energy production and 20% for medical research—if a broader nuclear agreement were reached. The report further suggested Putin had encouraged Tehran to accept a “zero-enrichment” deal.
Later on Saturday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, citing government sources, denied the claims, stating that no such message had been delivered from the Kremlin to Tehran. The report was dismissed as false and inconsistent with Moscow’s long-standing position on Iran’s nuclear rights.
Iran has consistently maintained that its uranium enrichment program is “non-negotiable.” Tehran also emphasized that it is entitled to enrich uranium under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which permits enrichment up to 3.67% for civilian purposes.
Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to limit enrichment to 3.67%, and Russia did in fact take custody of much of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile at the time. However, since the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance.
The Axios report contradicts Moscow’s past support for Iran’s right to a peaceful nuclear program. Russia was a key party to the 2015 JCPOA and has continued to support Iran’s rights under the NPT framework during the most recent efforts to revive the nuclear agreement.
Currently, there is no timeline for the resumption of negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which were derailed after Israel’s 12-day war against Iran earlier this year. The U.S. joined the conflict after initial Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
In the aftermath, Iran passed legislation suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), leading to the departure of international inspectors from the country.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s position last week, stating that talks will only resume if the U.S. and Israel provide ironclad assurances that Iran will not be subjected to further military attacks.