MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Monday dismissed a Politico report alleging that Russia offered to halt intelligence cooperation with Iran in exchange for the United States scaling back support for Ukraine, while reiterating the need for a political and diplomatic solution to ongoing tensions.
“This report — we have seen it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It belongs to the category of untruthful, or rather, false.”
Russia also urged a “political and diplomatic” resolution to the Middle East conflict following US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We believe that the situation should have transitioned to a political and diplomatic settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, at a briefing.
“This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to defusing the catastrophically tense situation that has now developed in the region,” Peskov said.
Russia has cautioned against any strikes that could put the site at further risk, after the UN’s nuclear watchdog reported last week that it had been hit by a projectile.
“Of course, this poses a very serious security threat if this trend continues,” Peskov said Monday.
“We consider strikes on nuclear facilities to be potentially extremely dangerous and fraught with, perhaps even irreversible, consequences,” he added.
Russia remains in “constant dialogue” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the Bushehr nuclear plant, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Last week, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi urged restraint amid the conflict to prevent any risk of a nuclear accident, the agency said in a statement.
