Russia’s Foreign Ministry has officially denied a report by U.S. outlet Axios claiming that President Vladimir Putin privately urged Iranian officials to abandon their uranium enrichment program as a condition for securing a new nuclear agreement with the United States.
The report, published Friday, alleged that Putin had communicated to U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron his agreement with Washington’s stance that Iran should be barred from enriching uranium. Axios further claimed that Putin had passed this message to Tehran in recent diplomatic exchanges.
In a statement released Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the article as a “politicized smear campaign” and “deliberate disinformation,” accusing Axios of attempting to inflame tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. The Ministry also labeled the outlet a “leaky propaganda pipeline,” citing its proximity to the Pentagon and CIA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The Axios article did not cite any Russian or Iranian officials and relied solely on unnamed European sources. On Saturday, Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency also denied the report, affirming that no such message had been conveyed from Moscow and reiterating Iran’s longstanding position that its nuclear enrichment rights are non-negotiable.
The issue of uranium enrichment remains the central sticking point in negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which stalled following the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran last month. The United States continues to insist that any deal must include the full cessation of Iran’s enrichment activities—a condition Iran rejects outright.
Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran was allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67%, the threshold needed for civilian nuclear energy, and consistent with its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Tensions escalated earlier this month when Iran ended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing the organization of leaking sensitive information about Iran’s nuclear program and its scientists. IAEA inspectors subsequently left the country.