WANA (May 25) – Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna has reiterated that U.S. nuclear demands on Iran contradict the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), following reports of Washington’s expansive conditions for a deal with Tehran.
Mikhail Ulyanov criticized the reported U.S. stance, stating that demands to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program run counter to international frameworks. “Demanding the dismantling of a nuclear program is contrary to the NPT. The same applies to enrichment,” Ulyanov said.
The Russian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) emphasized that non-nuclear-weapon states face no legal barriers to maintaining a nuclear program, provided it lacks military dimensions and remains under strict IAEA safeguards.
Trump-Netanyahu Call Sparks Backlash
The comments come in the wake of reports detailing a Saturday night phone call between Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump reportedly assured Netanyahu that he would not sign any agreement with Tehran unless strict limits on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure are enforced.
Iranian officials have dismissed these conditions several times, characterizing them as objectives Washington “failed to achieve through war and will never attain through negotiations.” Tehran has repeatedly asserted its right to uranium enrichment as an NPT signatory and firmly rejected any proposals requiring the export of its enriched uranium stockpiles.
‘Highly Unusual’ Negotiations
In a separate statement addressing U.S. delays in releasing frozen Iranian assets—which critics view as leverage to extract nuclear concessions—Ulyanov underscored the inherent friction in bilateral talks between the two nations.
“U.S.-Iran negotiations always face significant difficulties,” Ulyanov noted. “Frankly speaking, these negotiations are highly unusual and far removed from normal diplomatic processes.”