Iran and other countries that do not possess atomic weapons have a legitimate right to develop their own civil nuclear energy programs, Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.
Zakharova made the remarks in response to US President Donald Trump's suggestion that the goal of his administration's talks with Iran was to achieve the total "dismantlement" of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday briefed the Assembly of Experts for Leadership in the holy city of Qom on the latest developments in the country's foreign policy, including ongoing indirect negotiations with the United States.
Speaking to the Tasnim news agency on the sidelines of the Assembly's meeting, Araghchi said that members of the influential clerical body expressed their appreciation for the Foreign Ministry's effort.
He added that the ministry's approach continues "with dignity within the framework of national consensus."
Araghchi detailed the topics covered in his briefing, which included responses to questions and concerns from Assembly members regarding various foreign policy areas.
These included indirect talks with the US, the rationale behind the foreign ministry's approach, relations with regional organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, US policies of pressure and threats, and future prospects, according to Tasnim.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck and fully disabled Yemen's Sanaa International Airport and power plants in the second round of airstrikes since Monday after the Iran-backed Houthi group attacked Israel's main airport.
News agency photographs appeared to show a mushroom cloud arising from the outskirts of the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa.
"A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck and dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sanaa, fully disabling the airport," the Israeli military said in a statement.
"The strike was carried out in response to the attack launched by the Houthi terrorist regime against Ben Gurion Airport. Flight runways, aircraft, and infrastructure at the airport were struck."
The strikes follow Israeli airstrikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Monday after the Houthi ballistic missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday, causing several airlines to halt flights.
Monday's strikes killed four people and injured 39, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
The Israeli military said that the airport and port both served as a hub for the transfer of weapons and operatives. "It has been routinely used by the Houthi regime for terrorist purposes," said the statement.
Several central power plants were struck in the Sanaa area as well as the Al Imran Concrete Plant, located north of Sanaa, which the Israeli military said is used for the construction of underground tunnels.
"This strike further degrades the Houthi regime’s economic and military buildup capabilities," the statement added.
Yemen's Houthi-run foreign ministry condemned the attacks, saying, "This aggression will not go unpunished."
"(The attack) reflects ... the failure of the Zionist entity to achieve its goals in Yemen and its attempt to search for a false victory," it added in a statement.
Designated a terrorist organization by countries including the United States, the Houthis have been launching scores of missiles and drones towards Israel and targeting shipping in the Red Sea since the start of the Gaza war, in what it says is solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's expanding incursion into Gaza.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military again blamed the Houthi attack on Tehran.
"Over the past year and a half, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating under Iranian direction and funding, with the goal of targeting the State of Israel and its allies, undermining regional stability, and disrupting global freedom of navigation," the Israeli military statement said.
Iran has denied involvement in Houthi attacks on Israel and international shipping, and foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran does not operate through regional proxies.
“The decisions made by the people of Yemen reflect their own will, and all such accusations against Iran are baseless.”
The Israeli military had earlier warned civilians to evacuate the vicinity of the airport.
"Not evacuating puts you in danger," the warning read, publishing a map outlining the area targeted.
Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb in as little as 4.5 months, even if limits from the 2015 nuclear deal were reimposed, a US non-proliferation expert said in a new report.
David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, said that under the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s breakout time was about 12 months. But since then, Iran has installed more powerful centrifuges and gained experience that would let it move much faster.
“The situation has changed so fundamentally that new limits are needed,” Albright wrote. “The most important of which is that Iran destroy centrifuges and related equipment, rather than store them.”
The report said Iran now has over 13,000 advanced centrifuges and can reinstall them quickly. It could enrich enough uranium for one bomb in 4.5 months and nearly eight bombs within 15 months, even under JCPOA-style limits.
Albright also warned that proposals to only reduce Iran’s 20% and 60% enriched uranium stocks are “essentially worthless,” because Iran could still reach a breakout in as little as 25 days.
He said a new deal must include stricter limits, real verification, and require Iran to dismantle—not just store—its excess centrifuges.
Iran views itself as potentially expendable to both Russia and China, a factor that could facilitate Washington's nuclear negotiations with Tehran, according to an analysis by RealClearDefense (RCD).
RCD, a publication created with input from the Pentagon and the US House Armed Services Committee staff, suggests that historical grievances and current geopolitical realities have fostered a deep-seated distrust of Russia among the Iranian populace.
This sentiment, the article argues, stems from Russia's past actions, including its lack of support during critical junctures. “Of the six resolutions issued by the United Nations Security Council between 2006 and 2010, Russia did not veto any of them.”
The analysis highlights a significant negative public perception of Russia within Iran, citing surveys indicating that a majority of Iranians hold unfavorable views of Moscow.
RCD argues that Iran's leadership is likely aware of Russia's history of prioritizing its own interests, using Iran as a "card" in international forums.
The analysis suggests that Tehran recognizes that Moscow might ultimately prioritize a reconciliation with Ukraine and closer ties with Israel, even at Iran's expense.
RCD concludes that Moscow's tactical view of Iran makes it unlikely that Russia would significantly impede Washington's efforts to secure a new nuclear agreement with Iran, even if those efforts involve the threat of military force.

A source close to Iran’s negotiating team said the timing of the upcoming round of indirect talks with the United States in Oman has not yet been finalized, with discussions expected to take place over two days in Muscat.
“The talks will take place over two days in Muscat, either on Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday,” the source told Reuters.
Iran’s Nour News, affiliated with the Supreme National Security Council, earlier reported that the fourth round would be held on Sunday.
The talks were originally set for May 3 in Rome but were postponed, with mediator Oman citing logistical reasons.





