Report: Putin urges Iran to agree to zero uranium enrichment

Russian President Vladimir Putin is pressuring Iran to agree to a “zero enrichment” deal with the United States, according to a report published on Saturday on the Axios website.

The report states that Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials that he supports a nuclear agreement under which Iran would not be able to enrich uranium at all.

Three European officials and one Israeli official told Axios that Moscow has encouraged the Iranians to accept a deal that includes no uranium enrichment. Additionally, two sources said that Russia has even briefed the Israeli government on Putin’s stance on the matter.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, denied the report.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump that Israel would resume strikes in Iran if it renews its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to the report, the U.S. president replied that he prefers a diplomatic resolution, but did not directly object.

The report is based on senior American and Israeli sources. It also states that the U.S. president hopes the threat of further strikes will pressure Tehran into reaching an agreement that would prevent it from acquiring the ability to develop nuclear weapons. Israel, however, remains skeptical about the effectiveness of a diplomatic deal to prevent Iran from secretly advancing its nuclear weapons program.