Iran will never seek nuclear weapons, Pezeshkian tells Putin

Tehran, IRNA -- 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. 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. 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.

Author: John Pike

---