Iran's Foreign Minister Meets Putin, His Deputy Says Tehran Won't Halt Nuclear Bid

News18

23-06-2025

Last Updated:
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi has stressed that Tehran's nuclear programme won't stop despite Israeli bombings on several nuclear facilities.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and described the attacks by Israel and the US on its nuclear facilities as 'illegitimate" and a violation of international norms.
Putin condemned the attacks on Iran and said that they have 'no basis or justification". He reiterated Moscow's support for Tehran.
'This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran; it has no basis or justification. For our part, we are making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people," Putin said.
Araghchi thanked Russia for supporting Iran and said that Tehran is defending its sovereignty.
'These aggressive actions by Israel and the US are completely illegitimate and violate international rules and international norms. We are defending our sovereignty and country, and our defence is legitimate," he said.
As Iran affirmed its commitment to continuing the nuclear activities despite suffering heavy damage to the programme, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi refuted the idea of a halt to the pursuit, which also includes uranium enrichment.
He stressed that Iran's nuclear programme will not be brought to a halt. His remarks came during an interview with Germany's ARD broadcaster on Sunday, a day before the meeting between its Foreign Minister Araghchi and Putin in Moscow today.
Ravanchi dismissed demands from the US and other countries regarding a complete halt to Iran's nuclear programme and said, 'We are sincere members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. No one can tell us what we should and should not do as long as we remain within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."
He also said that Iran has pursued uranium enrichment for the 'peaceful" use of nuclear energy.
The minister, however, did not speak on the damage to the nuclear sites in the bombardment by the US B2 bombers on Sunday.
The US entered the ongoing war between Israel and Iran and attacked three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Iran has maintained that it reserves the right to its options for reaction to the US air strikes.
Earlier, Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said that the nuclear industry has 'roots" in Iran and it 'cannot be destroyed".
'Of course, we have suffered damage, but this is not the first time that the industry has suffered damage," he said.
The developments come after the US carried out airstrikes on three of Iran's nuclear sites on Sunday. President Trump said the strikes were meant to stop 'the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."
He warned Iran not to retaliate and called on it to work toward a peace agreement in its conflict with Israel. Speaking from the White House that night, Trump also warned that the US would strike more Iranian targets 'if peace does not come quickly."
First Published:
June 23, 2025, 18:42 IST